Curse of The Mountain Spirit
by Heart-fractured21
Summary: Chihiro's 9th grade class prepare for their last school trip before grad. But when disater strikes on the trip, a hated classmate is spirited away by an angry mountain spirit.Chihiro, with help from Haku and his companions, are her only hope.But will this powerful foe prove too much for them? And just how far is Chihiro willing to go to save the life of someone she hates?
1. At the Beginning

**I do not own the amazingness that is Spirited Away. **

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><p>Chihiro was completely oblivious to the loud chatter around her. Her attention was on the drawing in her lap as she lounged in her bus seat. Occasionally, she'd look out the window as if she were drawing inspiration from the clouds. The other students were busy expressing their enthusiasm about their end of the year school trip.<p>

"Aren't you excited?" asked Chihiro's best friend Naomi. "This is our last trip together as a class! I've never been to ski resort. It should be tons of fun!"

"Uh-huh," Chihiro inattentively answered.

"It's almost kind of sad. We had some good times in middle school, didn't we?" asked Naomi, leaning back in the seat.

"Uh-huh,"

"But don't get me wrong," she continued. "I can't wait until graduation next week. We'll have even more good times in high school."

"Uh-huh,"

Naomi eyed Chihiro, "Are you even listening?"

"Oh, you were talking?" asked Chihiro, blushing innocently. "I'm sorry. What'd you say?"

"You make me feel like I'm talking to a brick wall sometimes," Naomi pouted.

"What? I said I was sorry already," Chihiro chuckled.

"Whatcha drawing there, Ogino?" boomed a voice.

A raven haired girl leaned on the top of the seat behind Chihiro and Naomi's heads. She turned her nose up in disgust when she caught a glance of Chihiro's drawing.

"Ugh, another white dragon? Pathetic! Why do you always draw those things? Draw something else for once."

Chihiro did her best to ignore her tormentor, but it was to no avail. The girl continued to tease Chihiro as she annoyingly poked at her temple.

"You can try to ignore me all you want," laughed the girl. "But I know you can still hear me! Better get used to it! We are, after all, going to be roommates for the whole weekend!"

"Rena!" snapped Naomi. "Leave her alone. Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Nope!" Rena happily responded. "I sure don't! I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time with my dearest friend here. I'm sure she feels the same way. Isn't that right, Ogino?"

Chihiro shot Rena a death glare before quietly returning to her drawing. Apparently, Rena's feelings weren't at all mutual.

"It'd be nice if you could just sit down and shut-up for the rest of the ride!" snapped Naomi.

"Heh, like you could make me!"

"Naomi, it's really not that big of a deal," said Chihiro, sensing where this was going. "Just let it go."

But she didn't listen to her friend's pleas. She quickly spun around to face Rena. The two girls were now glaring into each other's eyes. Chihiro held her breath and waited for the screaming match begin. The other students on the bus were also awaiting the fight.

"Wanna bet?" questioned Naomi, as she folded her arms across her chest.

**"Oh great," **Chihiro thought as she sunk down in here seat. **"What a wonderful way to start off our school trip."**

"I'm willing to put money onto it," Rena slyly answered.

"Rena, Naomi!" called their teacher from the front seat, "Stop this foolishness and take your seats immediately!"

Both girls reluctantly did as they were told. But not before giving each other one final death glare. Their teacher, however, continued to fuss at them.

"Honestly," she ranted. "I'm sick of your constant bickering! That's all you've done the entire year. If I hear anything more from you two, I'm calling your parents to come pick you up. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, Ms. Tanaka," said both girls in unison.

Everyone quietly went back to their conversations and Rena finally left Chihiro alone.

"Why do you egg her on like that?" asked Chihiro once things died down.

"Because you won't stand up to her," Naomi simply responded. "So, I have to do it for you."

Chihiro sighed, "Just because I don't respond to things with violent words or swinging fist, doesn't mean I don't know how to stand up for myself."

"Well I've never seen you do anything," scolded Naomi. "I don't understand you. Ever since you first moved her in 5th grade, that _girl _has been constantly bullying you. And I've never seen you do anything about it besides ignore her. Why?"

"Because," Chihiro dismissed her question and continued her drawing.

"Because…why?" pressed Naomi, staring at the dragon picture.

Chihiro deeply sighed. Her friend just didn't know how to let things go.

"Because, she's completely harmless. The only thing she's succeeded in doing so far is annoy me. She's never hurt me in anyway," Chihiro stopped drawing and warmly smiled at Naomi. "Besides, I won't have to deal with her for much longer anyway. She's not even going to the same high school as us."

"Well yeah, but what about during the trip? You guys are roommates. What if she does something to you while you sleep?"

"I don't think so," she answered. "The only reason she teases me so much is because she can't get a huge reaction out of me. I'm a challenge to her."

"Feh, you're a challenge to me too," Naomi scoffed as she folded her arms behind her head. "Do you have any idea how hard it is being your best friend? Having to put up with her every day?"

Chihiro laughed, "Oh, and you think it's easy being best friends with you? Naomi, you constantly get in trouble because of your hot-headed antics. And because I'm usually with you, I get roped right into it! In case you're wondering, it's not fun!"

"Chihiro!" Naomi dramatically said, pretending to be offended. "I am deeply appalled by that accusation! I'm not hot-headed! I'm a very sweet, loving, and kind hearted girl."

"Okay fine, we'll pretend for a second that all of those things are true," Chihiro teased. "You're not hot headed. You're just overly passionate about everything."

Naomi winked at her, seemingly satisfied with that description.

"I see you still haven't given up on that story of yours, huh?" asked Naomi suddenly glancing at Chihiro's picture. "The one about the girl who falls in love with the dragon."

"No, I'm just doing this to pass the time. That's all,"

"I really do like that story you told me, though," said Naomi, cheerfully. "A girl and her parents become trapped in a spirit world after upsetting some spirits. Her poor parents are turned into hideous pigs."

Chihiro tired her hardest to block out Naomi's fangirling, **"here we go."**

"Then, like a delicate angel, a mysterious boy named Haku swoops in to save her. A mysterious boy that can turn into a white dragon."

**"If I'd known she'd keep retelling the story in such a melodramatic way," **thought Chihiro rolling her eyes. **"I never would've let her read it in the first place."**

"Through many trials and tribulations," Naomi continued. "She's able to boldly overcome every single obstacle she comes upon and emerges as a much stronger person. But alas, she and her beloved dragon must part. After rescuing her parents, the girl must leave the spirit world and her love forever. Such a deeply moving tale."

Chihiro openly stared at Naomi, "you're worse than Shakespeare."

"Me? You're the one that wrote about star-crossed lovers!"

"I-I never said they were lovers," said Chihiro , looking out the window.

"Well, that's the feeling I got when I read it," Naomi softly answered. "The characters may not have openly acknowledged it, but I definitely felt it. It's a wonderful story, but there are 2 things I'd change about?"

Chihiro rapidly turned back to Naomi, "Oh really? Like what?"

"Well for one, I think you should tweak the main character a bit," said Naomi. "She seems too much like you. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was a self-insertion."

Chihiro was so stunned, that she didn't even know how to react. She could do nothing but gawk at her eccentric friend.

"Don't be upset! I really do love your story and hope you get it published some day. It's just that it seems like you stepped into the main character's shoes in order to have a romance with the dragon boy. Even her name is similar—Chiharu!" Naomi explained.

"You said there were 2 things that you'd change," said Chihiro, regaining her composure. "What's the other thing?"

Naomi's face suddenly became serious, "I would've let the girl stay in the spirit world with Haku."

"Why is that?"

"Haven't you been listening at all?" asked Naomi lightly bonking Chihiro's head. "Because they love each other. They probably spend every day thinking about the other."

"Haku is a river god. He's got other things to do then worry about some human girl he met 5 years ago."

"5 years ago?" asked Naomi. "What are you—"

But Chihiro quickly cut her off, "I meant that…it's been 5 years since I created the story. You know? It was just an idea created in the mind of a 10 year old girl."

Naomi carefully examined Chihiro, "Okay, whatever you say."

Chihiro leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. She was hoping they'd be at the resort by now.

"One more thing," said Naomi.

"What is it now?" asked Chihiro, without even opening her eyes.

"Since you're the author, can you at least tell me if Haku and Chiharu ever meet again?"she asked her. "He did promise her they would."

"I don't know," she said. "I'd like to think that they do. But I'm not certain."

"Then I think it's time for a sequel," Naomi happily proclaimed.

Chihiro sadly looked down at her drawing of Haku. Not a day went by that she didn't think about Haku or her adventures in the spirit world just 4 years prior. She remembered how he'd promised they'd meet again as he was sending her off. Although she knew he was most likely trying to comfort her, she knew it wouldn't happen. Still, she couldn't stop wondering. She couldn't stop hoping.

**"A sequel," **she thought somberly. **"Would be highly unlikely."**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 is done! We'll see how this goes lol...<strong>


	2. True Colors

**Own nothing! lol**

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><p>"Alright everyone, we're here," announced Ms. Tanaka as the bus pulled up in front of the resort. "Once you check into your rooms, I want everyone to meet up in the lobby. From there, we'll go over all of the proper procedures and….."<p>

Nearly every student on board bolted off the bus. She was almost knocked down the steps.

**"There's really no use in trying," **she sighed. **"Oh well. At least I'll be rid of them soon. Ugh, this year's class was such a pain!"**

She carefully looked out the window and examined the mountain resort. Though the air was much thinner, it was definitely a lot more peaceful.

…

"This place is amazing!" Naomi exclaimed as she grabbed her bags. "I don't know what I want to do first!"

Meanwhile, Chihiro was huffing and puffing as she tugged on her luggage. Her face was practically as red as a tomato. Naomi seemed too busy exploring her new surroundings to even notice her troubled friend.

"It's like an entire little mountain village up here!" She exclaimed as she peered into the sky. "Look Chihiro! There's the ski lift over there! And down there's the indoor hot springs! Hey, I noticed a shrine on the way up here. I wonder who it belongs to."

"No, I'm fine," Chihiro sarcastically said. "I'm not struggling at all over here."

Naomi shook her head, "Really Chihiro? Girl, put some elbow grease into it!"

"I'd like to put some elbow grease into your head," she uttered.

"Hmm, I'm sure you said you weren't going to 'react to things with violent words or swinging fists'. And that was kinda violent," Naomi teased.

"You know, a real friend would help me move these heavy bags to my room," grunted Chihiro.

"Ah, a real friend would help you move," said Naomi slyly. "A best friend would help you move a dead body. So unless you've got a dead body in your luggage, I can't really help you."

"Dead body, huh?" said Chihiro, as she finally made it inside the lobby. "Don't give me any ideas…"

"Okay, I guess I'll help you out," she answered, walking over to lessen Chihiro's load. "But why in the world did you pack so much stuff? We're only here for the weekend, remember?"

"I didn't, Mom did," said Chihiro, breathing easily again. "Her motto is that you can never have too many clothes."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," Naomi laughed. "What room are you in?"

"206,"

"Well that's good because I'm in 207. That way, if Rena tries to kill you in your sleep, I'll be able to save you."

Chihiro rolled her eyes, "and we're still on this."

"Think about it! I'll bet she bribed Ms. Tanaka into setting up this room arrangement! Then, when you're nice and cozy in bed, she'll kill you in your sleep. It all makes sense," Naomi proclaimed.

"Why is it that in all of your conspiracy theories involving Rena, I always end up dead?" Chihiro asked.

"Because it's what she's planning!"

Chihiro rolled her eyes, "I think I can handle it. I've been in worse situations before."

"But what can be worse than being forced to share a room with Rena?"

"Giving a bath to a stink spirit," muttered under her breath.

Naomi instantly twirled around, "what?"

"Nothing," she nervously answered. "You're hearing things again."

"No, you said something about a stink spirit," Naomi urged with a smile. "You're talking about your story again, aren't you?"

"Uh…yeah, of course," she lied. "I mean, it's the only logical explanation. It's not like stink spirits are real….cause they aren't."

"Are you okay, Chihiro?" asked Naomi as she carefully examined her friend. "You seem tense all of the sudden."

"Oh look, we're here! 206!" she exclaimed, while fumbling with the key. "Help me drag the bags inside."

She pushed open the door and held it open with her bag. Once Naomi was inside with her luggage, Chihiro released the door and followed.

"The rooms are Western style," Naomi noted as she examined the style of the beds. "Like the rest of the hotel."

"Well it looks like Rena hasn't been here yet," she said, claiming the bed by the window.

"Good," said Naomi crossing her arms.

Chihiro plopped down face first into the bed, "Oh, be nice."

"Why should I?" said Naomi sitting beside her. "One, she's always so cruel to you. And two, she prances around her with those tacky hair extension! Honestly, does she really think they look good? Half the time, I can see her tracks! If she were a good person, she wouldn't force us all to look at that mess!"

"I just wanna enjoy this trip in peace," explained Chihiro, ignoring Naomi's pointless rant. "Am I happy that I got stuck with Rena as a roommate? Hardly! But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try and make the most of it. Please don't start any drama."

"Alright fine," sighed Naomi. "But sooner or later, she's gonna push you too far. You take way too much crap from her."

Suddenly, the door to Chihiro's room flew open. Naomi frowned as Rena sauntered on in.

"Am I interrupting?" she playfully asked.

"Yeah, our lives!" Naomi spat.

"Cute comeback," said Rena with a smirk. "Where'd you get that from? Your 12 year old sister?"

"Wha…..that was even worse than mine!"

"Naomi, don't you have some unpacking to do?" asked Chihiro. "You know, in your own room?"

Naomi stood to her feet and promptly picked up her bag.

"Okay, I'm leaving!" she snapped, storming out the door. "But remember, I'm gonna be right next door. If I even suspect a murder being committed, I'm coming over!"

"Heh, as usual you make no sense," Rena taunted as she slammed the door in Naomi's face.

By that time, Chihiro had already taken out her notebook to finish drawing. She ignored Rena as she soundly crept behind her and hung over her shoulder.

"Again with the drawing?" Rena complained with disgust. "You really need to get a hobby."

"Drawing is a hobby," Chihiro answered without looking over her shoulder.

Rena grabbed Chihiro's notebook and began rummaging through it.

"What kind of crap is this?" she questioned while hastily flipping pages. "You draw the strangest things!"

Anger quickly flashed in Chihiro's eyes. She quickly sprung up and snatched the notebook from Rena's hands. It all happened so fast, Rena didn't even know how to react. She'd never seen Chihiro so upset before.

"Please don't touch my notebook," Chihiro warned as she emphasized each word.

Rena smirked, "I've never seen you so worked up before, princess."

Chihiro sighed, "listen Rena, I think maybe we should talk about some things."

"Like?"

"Well, we could talk about what you have against me. Or why you hate me so much," said Chihiro sliding back in her bed.

"What makes you think I hate you?"

Chihiro blinked, "because for some reason, you're always messing with me. Look, if I did something to you in past, I'm sorry. I'd really like for this trip to go well. It's our last trip as a class and after next week we never have to see each other again. But if there's anything you need to say to me now go ahead."

Rena's amber eyes suddenly hardened as she held Chihiro in her glare.

"I guess you're right. After March 9th I won't even have to look at you anymore. So here's what I have to say," she spat. "I can't stand you. I never have and I never will. I hate that you're always so quiet all the time. I hate the way you pretend that nothing ever bothers you when I know that's not true. I hate the way you quietly scribble away in your stupid little notebook. Drawing your stupid fantasy pictures! I hate you're annoying nasally voice. I hate the way you dress! You're entire existence annoys me. You're just so weird!"

Chihiro didn't respond straight away. Instead, she calmly stared back at Rena. She took note of how red Rena's face turned. It seemed she'd gotten herself all worked up.

"So, I didn't do anything to you?" she finally asked.

Rena's face swelled with anger. How could Chihiro still be so calm after listening to all of that? In a rage, Rena grabbed her jacket and stormed off. Chihiro quietly watched her go before sadly looking down at her notebook. She instantly looked back up when she heard a loud police siren at the door. It didn't take her long to realize it was only Naomi playing with an app on her phone.

"Hey! What's going on in here?" she demanded. "Nobody had better be committing murder! Not on my watch!"

"Really? A police siren app?" asked Chihiro.

"Well I wanted the powerpuff girls theme song but I couldn't find it!" she shrugged.

Chihiro shook her head, "how do you even have service up here? I have no bars at all."

"Anyway, I'm done packing! Let's go exploring!" she suggested. "I saw Reiji in the hall before I went to unpack and he was telling me about that shrine I saw. It's supposed to be dedicated to some mountain spirit. And then he started telling me some story that I really didn't care about. So, I just tuned him out after that. You know I never pay attention to him. He never has anything useful to say!"

Chihiro sighed and glanced out the window. Naomi slowly approached her on the bed. She could definitely tell something was wrong with her.

"What's wrong Chihiro?" she tenderly asked. "You look like you're about to cry. What did she do to you?"

"Nothing," Chihiro quickly answered. "It's….nothing. I'm okay."

"You don't have to lie to me," she answered. "Tell me what's wrong?"

"Naomi? Do you…think I'm weird?" asked Chihiro. She kept her head down to avoid looking into Naomi's eyes. "Should I…change?"

"Weird? There are a lot of times when I can't understand you," answered Naomi. "But you aren't weird. There's nothing wrong with you if that's what you're asking. You're just…..Chihiro. I can't imagine you being anyway else. Not to sound cliché or anything, but don't ever change!"

"Even though I have a nasally voice?"

"Nasally…what are you talking about? What did Rena say to you?" Naomi was slowly getting furious. "Ugh! That evil little witch! I'll rip her track out!"

"No, you said you wouldn't pick a fight with her," Chihiro said. "Please don't say anything to her."

"But Chihiro, look at you. She's finally gotten to you," she answered. "You've never been this down before.

"No," she corrected as she began to tear up. "This is just the first time you've seen me like this. But I won't let her see. I won't let her have the satisfaction of seeing me like this."

"Just ask for a room change,"

Chihiro shook her head, "no. I don't want to cause any drama. I'll just deal with it. This really isn't that big of a deal."

**"Chihiro, have you been putting up a strong front all this time?" **thought Naomi as she comforted her friend with a hug. **"But why? Why don't you put a stop to this? What are you trying to prove by putting up with this abuse? Why are you trying to do?"**

Naomi looked down at the art pad over Chihiro's shoulder. She was amazed to find a particular drawing that Chihiro had never shown her before. It was obviously a special drawing because Chihiro took the time to color it in. She hardly ever added color to her drawings. Staring back at Naomi was a young boy with brilliant green eyes. He had shoulder length forest green hair and was dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. But the image of the young man wasn't what surprised Naomi. He was carrying a young girl in a pink kimono and brown hair on his back. Although she was a lot younger, the girl resembled Chihiro perfectly.

**"Haku…" **she guessed. She'd never seen any drawings of him in his humanoid form. **"And….Chihiro!"**

"Uh, we'd better hurry if we're gonna hit those slopes with the rest of our class!" said Naomi, suddenly separating herself from Chihiro. "Unless you're scared! We can start with the bunny slope."

"Scared of skiing?" Chihiro laughed. "It's hardly the scariest thing I've had to do! I think I can handle it."

**"I'll bet," **thought Naomi rising from the bed.

"So, what were you saying about that mountain spirit?" asked Chihiro as she locked the door behind she and Naomi. "The one Reiji told you about?"

Naomi shrugged, "I don't remember. We can ask him later."

"Should we wait for him? You know he hates it when we don't include him in things."

But Naomi clamped onto Chihiro wrist and pulled her along.

"We don't have time to wait around for him all day! I'm sure he'll catch up to us later. Let's just go!"

**"Aww, but I really wanted to hear about that story," **Chihiro thought. **"Guess I'll have to find out later…I wonder if that spirit knows Haku."**

As soon as Chihiro and Naomi were down the hall, Rena slipped back into the room. She was careful not to be noticed by either of them. Once she was safely inside, she made her way over to Chihiro's notebook.

**"Looks like I finally found a way to get to her after all," **she thought. **"Oh this will definitely be a fun trip."**

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><p><strong>Sorry it seems kinda slow right now. I'm just setting up some stuff. Things are DEFINITELY gonna pick up next chapter. Dun Dun DUNNNNNNN<strong>


	3. The Start of a Legend

**Still own not a thing! lol hasn't changed!**

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><p>Haku stood at the edge of the twinkling sea and stared out into its horizon. The sun would soon set and it wouldn't be long before the lanterns of the bathhouse were lit again. As usual, things were vibrant and lively at night, yet calm during the day. Haku took in a deep breath of salty air as he calmly shut his emerald eyes.<p>

"So, I find myself here again, huh?" he mumbled to himself.

This was the very last spot he'd ever seen her. It was the last place he'd ever spoken to her. It was the last place he'd ever felt her gentle touch. If he could, he'd stay wrapped up in these precious memories for just a little longer. If only he weren't a spirit, then he could travel across the ocean to the human side just for her. For a moment, he thought he could hear her voice calling out his name.

"Kohaku," called a tender voice.

Could it really be? Was she really here?

He hesitated a bit before turning around. His eyes seemed to lose a bit of luster once he saw it wasn't her. A young girl dressed in a pink kimono approached him. Her hair, which was also pink, was fashioned up into a neat bun save for 2 strands on each side. Of course it wasn't her. She was gone forever.

"Well, don't look so sad," she said with a frown. Her amber eyes looked to be on the verge of filling with tears.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I didn't mean to upset you again Kita."

"I'm glad I finally found you. I've been looking all over for you," she said, suddenly perking up. "But, I should've checked this place sooner. You sure do come here often."

He nodded, "this is where I was set free."

"Yes," she replied, looking back at the bathhouse in the distance. "I know. You told me about that."

Haku walked passed her and headed away from the ocean.

"Let's go," he said to her. "Riku and Akira are probably waiting for us."

"Actually, they want to wait for the bathhouse to open up," said the girl in pink. "I think it'd be a pretty good idea though. My skin needs some major exfoliation!"

"Of course it does," he grunted. "You can go on ahead. But I've had just about enough of that place. Just make sure you take lots of money with you."

When he was sure she wasn't looking, Haku pulled out a small white card with a drawing of a little girl on it. In big bold letters were the words _Chihiro, be well, let's meet again._

"Someday," he whispered. "I promise….."

…

Chihiro, Naomi and their friend Reiji were all relaxing in one of the tatami lounges of of the hotel. Though it was mostly modeled in a western fashion, the hotel still had many traditional Japanese style rooms. After skiing for nearly the whole afternoon, the entire class retreated back to their hotel. It had been one long day.

"Naomi, Lighten up a bit," laughed Chihiro as she sipped her green tea. "Reiji was just kidding!"

But Naomi didn't want to hear it. She angrily stirred her tea as she death glared Reiji. The clinking sound of her spoon striking the sides of her tea cup intensified her anger. But Reiji was unmoved by her mental death threats. He arrogantly winked at her, which angered her more. Chihiro, attempting to keep the peace, tired to relieve the tension.

"Isn't this the best tea you've ever tasted?" she nervously asked.

"It's alright," Reiji replied. "But I prefer my mother's."

"I don't really like tea," said Naomi joining in. "It does nothing for me. Give me an expresso and I'll be set."

"Heh, like you need any," jeered Reiji. "You're already hyper enough!"

"You!" she instantly shot up from the table. "One more crack like that and I swear to God I'll—"

"Naomi," Chihiro whispered. "Everyone's staring! Sit down!"

Nearly everyone in the room was now looking at the young girl—including Ms. Tanaka. Naomi quietly sat back down and went back to attacking her tea cup.

"These cups look very expensive," Reiji commented. "Maybe you shouldn't damage them."

"Who asked you anyway?"

"No one," he bluntly answered. "But I really think you're overreacting a bit. I mean, come on. It wasn't that bad."

Naomi glared, "not that bad? You tried to kill me! You tried to push me off the ski lift!"

"I was just trying to scare you!" he laughed. "Besides, I didn't even push you that hard. You were the one being overly dramatic."

"We weren't that high off the ground," Chihiro pointed out. "You were perfectly safe, Naomi."

"This never would've happened if we'd just left Reiji behind like I wanted to!" complained Naomi as she shifted all her weight to her left leg.

"Oh, you mean like how you always do?" he shot back. "You're always trying to ditch me!"

"We wouldn't need to do it all the time if you'd just take the hint!" she snapped while turning to Chihiro. "Come on, let's go back upstairs."

"What? I said I was sorry," he laughed. "Just get over it already."

"He did say he was sorry," Chihiro said. "Go easy on him."

"It's okay Chihiro, I think I know what this is really about," said Reiji. "It's so simple."

"It…is?"

He nodded, "yep. Naomi is just jealous because I beat her high score on temple run."

It took all the strength Chihiro had to keep her from face faulting to the floor. Rena, on the other hands, had nearly gone into a frenzy. She angrily slammed down her tea cup on the table, never once taking her eyes off him.

"Temple run? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my entire life! Why the hell would I be jealous of that stupid game!" she screeched.

"It wasn't so stupid when you were winning at it last week," jeered Reiji.

"Okay that's it!" she shouted.

"Just a second Naomi," said Chihiro. "Reiji, can you tell me that story about the mountain spirit. You know, the one you told her about?"

"You mean the god of the Nakamura shrine?" he asked. "Well yeah, I read about it in a pamphlet about this place."

"So, what about this spirit?" she asked.

Reiji straightened himself out, "300 years ago, this entire area was completely lifeless. No one dared to try and utilize this land."

"Why not?" Chihiro curiously asked.

"Because they were afraid of the vengeful mountain god."

"Mountain god?"

"yes," he nodded. "The story's on the website if you really want to read it. I don't feel like telling it."

"Please Reiji," Chihiro sweetly pleaded. "I really want to hear it from you."

He smiled, "well okay, if you really want me to. They say the god of this mountain was a ruthless being who would spirit away innocent people just for walking strangely. Everyone feared his wrath. But it was necessary for people to travel through this mountain chain in order to get to the next village. Travelling was especially crucial for merchants and traders. People began disappearing left and right over the years.

"But one day, a man named Yoshi Nakamura decided to travel along the mountain. Every tried to change his mind, but he insisted. When he got to the mountain, he shouted up at the spirited and challenged it. When the spirit finally appeared before him, Nakamura assumed it was accepting his challenge. But that wasn't quite the case. The mountain god was impressed by Nakamura's bravery and was appearing to reward him. The spirit granted Nakamura the right to utilize this land anyway he wanted. And as long as he continued to offer him praise and please him, Nakamura would bless the land. However, if Nakamura did anything to anger the god, then he'd have to suffer the consequences."

"So that shrine we saw is for this god?" she asked.

"The Nakamura family set up many different shrines for their god," he answered. "I hear it's to appease his ruthless nature. But, it could just be a legend for the tourist. You never really know."

Chihiro frowned and sunk down a little. Naomi put down her drink and turned to her.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I just thought the story would be more, I don't know, interesting," she pouted. "I guess not."

"You see what you did Reiji? You bored her," teased Naomi.

"Feh, look I already said it was on the website," he scoffed. "I didn't feel like telling it anyway!"

"Reiji," said of the boys from their class. "Wanna come up with us and play mahjong?"

"Sure," he said, rising up from his seat. "I'll see you guys a little later."

Naomi watched as he left with 3 other boys. She finally calmed down enough to stop angrily stirring her tea.

"It's about time that loser left!" she fussed. "He gives me such a headache. I can't believe he accused me of being jealous of his stupid temple run score. Please! The only reason his score his higher than mine is because he poked me while I was playing and I got attacked by those ugly monkeys! He cheated!"

"Yeah, I'm still convinced you guys are one day going to elope," Chihiro teased.

"Chihiro?" Naomi said, ignoring Chihiro's comment. "Why did you want to hear that story so badly anyway?"

"I was…just hoping for some new material for another story," she answered.

"I have to ask you something and I need you to promise to tell the truth,"

Chihiro suddenly became frightened, "okay, I promise. So what's wrong?"

"The story about the girl traveling to the spirit world is true isn't it?" Naomi asked.

Chihiro didn't want to answer, but she had no choice. She promised she'd tell the truth.

"Yes," Chihiro admitted.

"And the girl from the story is really you, isn't she?"

"Yes, it's all true," she reluctantly replied. "Almost 5 years ago, my parents and I were all trapped in the spirit world."

She removed the hair band from her ponytail and presented it to Naomi.

"Is this the gift you got from that witch, Zeniba?"Asked Naomi, receiving it.

Chihiro nodded, "yes. I wear it all the time. It makes me feel closer to the spirit world and closer to..."

"Haku?" Naomi finished.

Chihiro sadly looked down into her lap.

"I never stopped thinking about him," she whispered. "I told myself I'd never forget about Haku and what he did for me. Once I returned here, my memories of the spirit world began to fade. That's why I wrote them all down in a story…so I'd never forget."

Naomi put her hand on Chihiro's shoulder and smiled.

"I miss him so much," she continued. "There's nothing I'd love more than to see him again—just one more time. I've even thought about travelling back through the tunnel, but I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"As much as I want to see him again, I'm also afraid to," Chihiro explained. "What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he forgot about me? Or worse, what if he's not there at all? When I was leaving, he said he was leaving the bathhouse. He could be anywhere in the spirit world."

"I'm sure he'll feel your presence and come running," said Naomi tenderly. "Why didn't you tell me all of this before?"

"Because," Chihiro began. "It's such a crazy story. No one would believe that. They'd have to be—"

"Insane?" Naomi humorously cut in.

Chihiro laughed, "Oh, come on! Even you're not that crazy."

"I believe you," Naomi answered. "And I think we've all established that I _am _that crazy!"

"So, crazy one, how'd you figure it out?"

"You left your notebook open on your bed," she explained. "It was open to a picture of you and Haku together."

Chihiro frowned, "no one was supposed to see that one. I drew it 3 years ago after a dream I had about him."

"You really miss him, huh?" Naomi dreamily asked. "Aww, my poor little star-crossed lovers."

"We weren't lovers. I already told you that," Chihiro snapped. "Just, incredibly close friends."

Naomi suddenly thought of something and quickly turned to Chihiro.

"Wait, did you put away your notebook before we left?"

"Um," Chihiro tilted her head slightly as she thought back. "I don't think I did. I guess it's still on my bed."

"No, we have to get back to your room!" she snapped.

"For what?

"What if Rena sees it and does something to it! Especially after what she said to you earlier!" said Naomi looking around the room. "She's not here!"

Chihiro was also scanning the room for Rena. She remembered Rena's expression after she snatched back her notebook from her. A look of absolute terror spread across Chihiro's face as she stood to her feet.

"My notebook! Naomi, we have to go!"

She quickly scurried out of the room followed by Naomi. They didn't even stop when Ms. Tanaka ordered for them to. The two girls raced down the corridor and over to nearest elevator. Naomi repeatedly mashed the up button while Chihiro impatiently paced the floor.

"Come on, come on," Naomi said as she tapped her foot. "Hurry up!"

Both of them practically leapt as soon as they heard the elevator ding. It had finally arrived! The doors slowly opened up and Chihiro and Naomi rushed inside. They nearly knocked over some other guests who were stepping out of the elevator. By the time they finally made it to Chihiro's room, they were out of breath. Chihiro unlocked her door and hurried into her room.

"Oh no!" she gasped. "It's gone! My notebook is gone!"

"Just as I thought," said Naomi crossly. "She did still it. When I get my hands on that overly perfumed witch, I'm gonna wring her scrawny little neck until she says great-grandfather!"

"Great-grandfather?" asked Chihiro, cocking her head to the side. "Don't you mean uncle?"

But Naomi shook her head, "nope! Uncle's too short of a word! Come on, she can't have gone too far."

"Let's split up," suggested Chihiro. "I'll go back to the ground floor and go up from there. You start from the highest level and go down. That way, we'll meet in the middle."

"Okay, I'll pick up Reiji along the way," said Naomi rushing ahead of Chihiro. "She is going _down_ this time!

Chihiro didn't waste any time waiting for the elevator. She made a beeline for the stairwell and quickly searched for Rena. She looked everywhere she possibly could. She searched inside every vase, lounge, and tight space she could find. None of her other classmates seemed to know where she was either. Where could she have run off too?

"Chihiro, any luck?" asked Reiji running up to her. "Naomi told me about what happened. I couldn't find Rena either. Hey, maybe we should tell Ms Tanaka or some of the hotel staff."

"No, if we tell them we'll all get in trouble," she informed him. "Just help me look for her."

"You mean me?" called a voice from down the hall. It was Rena herself. "Catch me if you can!"

She turned around and bolted in the opposite direction.

"Stop!" cried Reiji racing after her. "Chihiro, come on!"

She nodded once before chasing after the boy. They came around the corner just in time to see Rena smiling as the elevator doors closed. Reiji hit the wall in frustration and Chihiro looked up to see what floor Rena was going too.

"She's headed down towards the basement. Maybe we can cut her off!" she said.

"Okay, let's head towards the stairwell. With any luck, we'll get there before she does,"

The pair slipped into the stairwell and ran as fast as they could. The sound of their feet ramming down on the steps echoed throughout the stairwell. What was Rena planning on doing in the basement? They finally reached the end of the stairwell and stopped before opening the door.

"The sign says it's closed off to the public," said Reiji. "Maybe we shouldn't go."

"I have to get that notebook back. It's extremely important to me," replied Chihiro. "I don't care if it's off limits. We wouldn't even have to be here if it weren't for Rena. But Reiji, if you don't want to go, it's okay. I'm not going to make you."

"If you're coming then I will too," he decided. "I'll text Naomi to let her know we found Rena…..kinda found Rena."

"What is this place?"Asked Chihiro, opening up the door. "It looks strange."

Everything about this floor was different than the others. For one thing, the hall way was poorly lit, making it a little hard to see. The floors were wooden and rigid. Chihiro tried her best to avoid stepping on any squeaky floor boards. The walls were painted royal purple and were heavily accented with portraits of snowy mountains. There was a large wooden door frame at the end of the hall that led into a shrine room. Chihiro could see a fire of blue flames blazing in the fire pit. Had someone just been down there and forgotten about it?

"Look, there's the elevator!" Reiji pointed out.

The numbers at the top weren't lighting up at all. It looked like Rena beat them there anyway. So where was she now?

"These mountains, I think I recognize them," said Chihiro. "This must be what the area looked like 300 ago before the Nakamura family built their resort. Why would they have these portraits down here?"

"This must be one of their shrines for their god," he explained. "It's why the floor was blocked off to the public. I wonder why the elevator comes down to this level. They should have it closed to this floor."

"Chihiro," sang a voice from behind her. "Come and get me!"

Rena was once again teasing them from behind. She was lingering in the door frame with Chihiro's notebook tucked under her arm. She retreated back into the room as Reiji and Chihiro pursued her.

"Is this what you're looking for?" taunted Rena as she held out Chihiro's notebook.

"Rena, give that back to me!" Chihiro ordered. "I asked you not to touch that!"

But Rena held the book over top of Chihiro's head with a smirk.

"Come on! Reach for it!" she replied. "If you really want it, then reach!"

Each time Chihiro came close to swiping the notebook, Rena lifted it even higher. It was no use, Chihiro was a little too short to grab it. Even so, she continued to push on in frustration. She refused to let Rena keep the book.

"This isn't funny! Give it back!" she demanded.

"Who's laughing?" Rena coldly said. "I know I'm not."

"Enough of this," said Reiji rushing towards.

Rena instantly moved away from him and closer to the fire pit. Reiji instantly froze on spot. Chihiro felt the blood freeze inside her veins when she realized what Rena intended to do.

"No, please," she begged. "Don't! I'll do anything you want, please! Don't do it!"

Rena 's smirk became even more twisted, "I finally found a way to get to you."

Rena released the book from her hands and watched it sink towards the flames. At that moment, Naomi dashed into the room. She nearly had enough time to stop Chihiro from reaching into the flames after the notebook.

"Stop! You'll burn yourself," she said, pulling her friend away from the flames.

"No!" Chihiro screamed as she watched her most prize position burn to ashes. "Haku!"

"Who the hell is Haku?" Naomi rudely asked as she smoothed her skirt.

"You!" Naomi spat. "You've gone too far this time! Do you hear me? Too far!"

"I know," she laughed as she walked off. "I couldn't agree with you more!"

All of the sudden, a strong gust of wind tore through the room. Naomi looked around to see if a window was left open. To her shock, she discovered that the room had no windows. So where had that wind come from? An air vent?

"What was that?" wondered Reiji. "It was…disturbing."

Rena tried to leave again but was stopped dead in her tracks. An angry ghostly wale echoed around the room. Chihiro jumped back to her feet and scrambled next to Naomi.

"The lights are flickering," she pointed out. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Naomi answered. "But I'm gonna stay around to find out. Let's get out of here!"

Suddenly, two large red eyes lingered in the doorway. They were filling with such anger and hatred, that even Rena received the chills. She too took a step back from them. No, this couldn't be possible. How was all of this happening?

"Who defiled my fires with such filth?" bellowed an angry voice. "Which one of you was it?

Rena's heart filled with terror, "it was them! They did it!"

"Don't blame this on us!" Naomi fired back. "She's the one that did it! She threw my friend's notebook into the flames."

Chihiro stared with bewilderment as blue scaly body materialized around the body.

"A…dragon?" gasped Rena. "Then, this must be the god you told us about, Reiji."

His eyes widened, "th-that's impossible!"

"I am Masaru, the spirit of Nakamura Mountain," it boomed. "And you have earned my wrath!"

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><p><strong>oooooh Someone's not very happy, huh? lol thanx for the reviews! I didn't think I'd get so many so quickly! :)<strong>


	4. The Spiriting Away of Chihiro and Rena

**Still own nothing...ya, ya, yaaaaa**

**Anyway, it's chapter 4, hey look at that! Is someone actually gonna be spirited away this chap? **

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><p>"You know how I've been complaining that you 2 never include me in anything? Well, I'm completely over that now," said Reiji as he, Chihiro, Rena and Naomi backed away from the dragon spirit. "The next time you decide to do something….please don't include me!"<p>

"Insolent fools!" Masaru bellowed. "How dare you enter my sacred sanctuary? Now, I'm going to ask you this just one last time."

The translucent dragon hovered over the blue flames exploding from the pit. The remains of Chihiro's charred notebook suddenly floated in mid air.

"Who did this?" he demanded to know.

"We already told you!" snapped Naomi, pointing at Rena. "It was this girl right here!"

Rena sheepishly smiled as she separated herself from the others.

"N-no it wasn't! Just check the name in front! It says it belongs to Chihiro Ognio, and that's her over there!" she said.

"You idiot!" shouted Naomi. "The notebook is charred! The name written inside is completely illegible!"

"And would I throw someone else's property into a fire like that? What kind of person does that?" said Rena, obviously ignoring Naomi.

Naomi's jaw completely dropped, "You would! That's exactly what you did, you witch! Stop trying to play the victim here!"

"I've heard enough of your bickering!" screeched Masaru. "Since no one will confess to this…"

As he spoke, his dragon body slowly began fusing into a human like form. Though he shrunk in size, his humanoid form still towered over the children. He was revealed to be a man with olive toned skin and a long blue ponytail that sat on his left shoulder. He was dressed in an indigo men's kimono.

"Then I'll hold you all accountable," he continued.

His crimson eyes flashed with anger, causing the group to tremble. He clenched the remains of Chihiro's notebook in his hand. Everyone watched with horror as he set it aflame with his own energy.

"He's coming closer," Chihiro whispered.

"Great, now we're gonna die," said Reiji dryly. "You would think being in a dark room surrounded by girls would be a guy's dream come true…..but nope!"

"Oh shut up, Reiji," said Naomi, fiddling with something behind her back. "No one's going to die."

"He's a powerful dragon spirit who's been terrorizing and abducting people for centuries," Reiji whispered to her. "We can't compare!"

"Those things may be true," she said. "But we've got something that he doesn't."

"What's that?" asked Reiji.

"We've got apps!" exclaimed Naomi, holding her phone out in front of her.

Chihiro and Reiji immediately face faulted to the floor. Just how was Naomi gonna stop Masaru with her phone?

_'Yep, we're done for,' _Reiji thought.

"That device is no match for me, human," mocked Masaru.

"Says you, old timer!" she tapped the screen. "Feel the power of technology!"

Reiji and Rena instantly copied Chihiro's actions and covered up their ears. Naomi cranked the volume on her phone as high as it would go. Before Masaru could react, Naomi's phone began blaring with 10 different alarms at once. He snarled as she clammed up his ears. It was like nothing he'd ever heard before.

"Stop that!" he ordered.

"Get ready to run! It won't stay on forever!" shouted Naomi over the noise. She backed out of the room, still holding her phone out in front of her. As soon as the siren stopped, all 4 of them took off running towards the stairwell. But it didn't take long for Masaru to recover.

"You'll pay for this!" he threatened.

Reiji looked over his shoulder at the approaching god. Rage was written all over his princely face.

"Got any more apps that'll stop him?" he asked Naomi as they raced on.

"There's no app for getting rid of an angry mountain god if that's what you're asking!" she answered. "Obviously!"

"Are you sassing me?"

"You're not having fun?" she asked with a smirk. "But I thought being chased through a sacred area by supernatural forces was right up your ally, temple run boy!"

"Damn it, Naomi! We don't need your sass right now!" he complained. "What we need is a miracle."

Suddenly, Rena tripped on one of the loose floor boards. She helplessly watched as everyone else ran on without her.

"That god may not like us," said Naomi happily as she glanced over her shoulder. "But there's definitely one out there that does!"

Chihiro also looked back at the fallen Rena. She couldn't help but slow down her pace a little. Masaru also slowed his pace to an unflinching walk.

"Chihiro!" Rena cried, still on the floor. "Chihiro help me! Please!

By that time, Reiji and Naomi had already reached the door to the stairwell. Chihiro stopped running completely as she listened to Rena's pleas. Was she really begging for Chihiro of all people to help her? Naomi motioned for Chihiro to keep running, but she couldn't bring herself to leave Rena.

"Chihiro?" shouted Naomi in shock. "What are you doing? Get over here!"

But Chihiro had already gone back to Rena and was attempting to help her up.

"Can you stand?" she asked.

"I think I twisted my ankle a little when I was running," she answered. "Ow! It hurts to—"

She was cut short when she realized the mountain god was standing over them. His murderous eyes burned into hers.

"Did you think you could escape me with that little stunt?" he coldly asked.

Chihiro froze with fear. She couldn't even let out the scream lodge in her throat. What was he going to do to them now?

"It was you all along, wasn't it?" he asked, looking at Rena. "You're the one who tampered with the flames?"

"N…no! It wasn't me it was—"

"Are you calling me a liar, girl?" he shouted as he yanked her up by the collar. "Well, are you?"

"I…I'm sorry!" she cried out. Tears were now swelling in her chocolate brown eyes. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"Let go of her!" demanded Chihiro as she clung onto Masaru's arm.

Masaru violently pushed her away and Chihiro's back slammed down on the floor. She hit her head a little during the fall as well. Masaru turned his attention back to Rena.

"So it was you!" he snared while angrily shaking her. "I'll teach you to defile my shrine."

"No! Please!" Rena begged.

Suddenly, Rena's body began to shimmer with a white light. Chihiro's eyes widened with complete terror once she understood what was happening. Rena's terrified screams all became mute as she disappeared from everyone's range of sight.

"Rena! She's…been spirited away!" freaked Chihiro sliding backwards.

"Now it's your turn," Masaru coldly stated. "You'll soon join her!"

"Chihiro!" shouted Naomi.

Both she and Reiji were running back towards there fallen friend. Before she knew it, she was being scooped up princess style by Reiji.

"Are you alright?" asked Naomi as they were running back towards the stairwell. "You're not hurt are you? We saw what happened to Rena."

"Guys, my legs work just fine," she replied.

"Sorry Chihiro," Reiji answered. "But, you're just too slow! It's much faster this way."

Naomi got to the stairwell first and pushed open the door for Reiji and Chihiro. Once they made it inside, Reiji safely put Chihiro down on her feet.

"I think we're safe now," said Reiji. "We're not in his territory anymore."

All of them jumped as Masaru completely burned the door off its hinges. He was now lingering in the doorway with a deadly expression.

"He's the god of this mountain, Reiji! This entire area is his territory!" snapped Naomi.

"Don't think that little device of yours will save you this time!" taunted the mountain spirit floating in the air. He held his palm out towards the escaping teens. "I believe I've toyed with you long enough."

He shot a blast directly ahead of the trio, effectively cutting them off. An avalanche of stone and concrete came raining down to the floor.

"We're trapped!" exclaimed Chihiro, backing up slightly.

Before they could retreat back in the opposite direction, Masaru shot down and blocked their path. Reiji stepped in front and shielded the girls from the angry spirit.

"Get back!" he ordered.

Masaru laughed at his heroic efforts, "don't be silly, boy. To think you can actually threaten me."

He suddenly lunged forward at the group. Both Naomi and Chihiro buried their heads into Reiji's chest as he wrapped his arms around them. This was it! Just as Masaru was upon them, he instantly froze in the air. Reiji watched as Masaru curiously examined the back of Chihiro's head. Why had he stopped his pursuit? The girls, who were wondering why, lifted up their heads. All 3 of them stared as the mountain god disappeared in a puff of smoke. For the longest time, none of them dared to move. They were afraid Masaru would come back.

"Like I said," Reiji began, "The next time you 2 decide to do something, please leave me out of it!"

"Ugh! Get off me!" jabbed Naomi as she shoved him away. "That demon's gone already!"

"What happened?" wondered Chihiro. "He just stopped and left us alone."

"Yeah, that was really weird. He stared at you and then went away," said Reiji releasing Chihiro and rising to his feet.

"He stared at me?"

Reiji nodded, "yeah. It's like he was fascinated by the back of your head or something."

"The back of my head?" she instantly reached for her hair and unfastened her ponytail. "It must be because of my hair band."

He calmly held the gift Zeniba made her in the palm of her hand. Had it really saved all of them?

"What's so special about that hair tie?" asked Reiji.

"Everything! If only you knew," said Naomi with a smile. "She protected us."

"Not all of us," said Chihiro sadly as she stared down at the debris at the bottom of the stairwell.

…

"I don't want to have to ask you this again, Ms. Ogino," said the detective as he slammed his fist down on the table. "What exactly went on between you and Rena Sayomi?"

"Detective Katsu, please stop banging on my table," Mrs. Ogino scolded. "I've asked you this several times already."

"My apologies, Mrs. Ogino. I'd really like for your daughter to cooperate with me," he explained. "This is really important, you see."

"I am cooperating with you," said Chihiro.

It had been 2 days since the mountain spirit incident at the Nakamura resort. When Rena suddenly disappeared, all of the students and staff went searching for her. Because she was gone for more than 24 hours, she was officially reported missing. The trip was immediately called off and everyone was sent home. Rumors began to swirl that Chihiro and her friends had something to do with the disappearance.

"It's been reported that you and your two friends, Naomi Ikeda and Reiji Yoshida, were the last to have seen her," he explained while shifting through some documents. "The three of you were scaling the entire hotel looking for her just hours after her alleged disappearance."

Chihiro solemnly stared at the detective without even saying a word. Her mother firmly sat beside her at the kitchen table. She refused to allow Chihiro to be questioned without her or her husband present.

"This whole thing is ridiculous," she hissed. "This is outrageous! My daughter didn't do anything. She would never hurt anyone."

"Is that so?" he asked. "Ms. Ogino, what was your relationship with Ms. Sayomi like?"

"She didn't like me," Chihiro answered. "She told me so herself. I didn't care for her either, but that was because she'd always mess with me."

"So she bullied you?"

Chihiro shrugged, "I wouldn't exactly call it bullying."

"Why were you and your friends looking for her on the day she disappeared?"

"Because she stole my notebook. It was very important to me," Chihiro quietly answered. "My friends were just trying to help me get it back from her."

"You say it _was _important to you. Meaning you no longer have it?" he asked, scribbling down Chihiro's answers on a notepad.

She shook her head, "Rena dropped it into a fire. I tried to grab for it, but Naomi pulled me away.

"Hmm, it must've been very valuable if you were willing to reach into a blazing fire for it," he said.

Mrs. Ogino frowned, "it was extremely valuable to her. She took that notebook everywhere she went. I'd always see her around the house with it."

"I'd be pretty upset if someone did something to one of my valuables," he said darkly. "Sometimes, people do irrational things when they're angry."

"I didn't do anything to her," she snapped.

"Then who did?" he asked. "You're hiding something and I know it! I can feel it!"

She turned away from him but he continued, "Witnesses say they saw you and your friends run down into the basement of the hotel. An area that's authorized to personnel only. What were the three of you doing down there?"

"I already told you! We were chasing after Rena trying to get my notebook back!" she fired back. "She took the elevator down and we tried to cut her off, but she got there first!"

"It just seems awfully suspicious that 4 people go down into a basement and only 3 people come up," he said. "So what happened down there?"

"Nothing," she flatly answered.

"Nothing?" he said, sliding a photo across the table to her. "This doesn't look like nothing to me."

Chihiro hesitantly looked down at the photo on the table. It was a shot of the damaged stairwell. This was Chihiro's mother's first time seeing the photo. She couldn't hide her initial shock. Chihiro didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him the truth. He'd never believe her.

"Now tell," he demanded. "What happened to Rena Sayomi?"

"Fine, you want the truth?" she asked, folding her arms. "I'll tell you. Rena Sayomi was spirited away by the vengeful mountain god of Nakamura mountain."

"Chihiro!" snapped her mother.

"Well it's the truth!" she fired back. "Do you know what's down in that basement? It's an underground sacred shrine dedicated to the god, Masaru. It doesn't matter how much you look for her, you'll never find her. She was taken away by him against her will."

The detective closed up his notebook and stood up from the table, "I believe we're done for the day, Ms. Ogino."

She quickly got up from the truth, "what is it with people like you? Why are more likely to believe a lie over the actual truth?"

With that she stormed up to her room and slammed the door behind her. She completely ignored her mother's pleas for her to come back. She dove onto her bed and tried to block out the memories of the past 2 days. She tried not to think of Rena's terrified expression right before she disappeared. Chihiro suddenly heard her phone ring and reached to answer it.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, so how'd it go today?" asked Naomi's voice from the other end.

"I told him," said Chihiro, staring up at the ceiling. "I told him the truth."

"You what? Chihiro, why would you do that?"

"It's not like he believed me anyway," she answered. "He just left. He didn't have much of a reaction."

"That's because he's probably coming back with a straight jacket!" Naomi freaked. "Geez, I'm so sick of this whole thing. You'd think Rena disappearing would be a dream come true! Instead, it's a complete nightmare! I'm so tired of being questioned by cops. And now everyone in our class thinks we did something to her."

"I know,"

"Ugh," Naomi groaned. "If I really did something to her, I'd want everyone to know that it was me that did it. I wouldn't hide in fear!"

"What do you think is happening to her right now?" asked Chihiro. "Do you think she's still alive in the spirit world?"

"I don't know," Naomi admitted. "I don't know what goes on there. I've never actually been. You'd know more about that then I would."

Chihiro suddenly sat up, "you're right. I would know more about this then you. I'd know more about this than anyone else."

"What are you saying?"

"Naomi, meet me by the dirt path behind my house," said Chihiro throwing on her jacket.

"Dirt path," she wondered. "Okay, but why?"

Chihiro looked out her window to make sure the detective's car wasn't out front.

"You'll see!"

….

Chihiro quickly led Naomi up the windy dirt path. She was moving quickly even for Naomi's standards. It was rare for Naomi to ever tell Chihiro to slow down. Usually, it was the other way around.

"Chihiro, we've been running around out here for awhile now," she said. "Where are on earth are we going?"

"I can't believe you haven't noticed it yet," said Chihiro cheerfully. "You really don't know where we're going? I thought you were a fan girl of my story."

Naomi's eyes lit up with so much excitement, that Chihiro swore she saw sparks. Suddenly, Naomi was the one sprinting up the dirt path.

"We're going to the spirit tunnel? Why didn't you say so?" she asked. "I can't believe it's been back here the entire time and I didn't even know it!"

'_There's that fan girl I know and love,' _thought Chihiro as she smiled to herself.

It wasn't long before they came to the very end of the path. Naomi stared with wonder as she slowed to a halt. They finally reached the spirit tunnel she'd read about.

"What's that?" she asked pointing to a moss covered statue in front of the tunnel.

"It's always been there," said Chihiro standing next to it. "Naomi, stand over here."

As soon as she stood next to her friend, Naomi felt a slight chill across her face. Why had it suddenly become so windy.

"It's like the tunnel's pulling us in," she softly commented. "I can feel it."

Chihiro nodded, "that's the way I felt too when I first came here."

"You must come here a lot, huh?"

She nodded, "I do. I always debate whether or not I should go back. But this time, I don't have a choice. I have to go and save Rena."

"What? That's what you brought me here for?" asked Naomi. "To save her?"

"If I don't she'll be trapped there forever," said Chihiro. "Even Rena doesn't deserve that."

"Okay, time out," Naomi said while forming a T with her hands. "Let's say you do go to the other. What will you do once you're there?"

Chihiro looked down, "Okay, I admit…I don't really have a full plan yet. But there are some people there that I know can help me. Like Zeniba, or….Haku."

Naomi stared deep into the tunnel, "Is Haku really that strong? Do you think he can take on the mountain spirit?"

"I know he can," explained Chihiro. "I believe in him."

Naomi smiled as she took Chihiro's hand, "then hurry up and go before people come looking for you."

"Wait, aren't you coming with me? I thought you'd want to come," she explained. "This is why I brought you out here."

"Chihiro, I would want nothing more than to go with you," Naomi responded, "But now's just not a good time. With the police investigation, it'll look too suspicious if both of us disappear after Rena. Someone has to stay behind to deal with things in the human world."

"But what about you? You'll automatically be the prime suspect in both disappearances,"

She shook her head, "I'll be okay, Chihiro. Besides, Reiji's still here."

Chihiro and Naomi embraced for a long period of time.

"I'll get her back and end this whole thing," whispered Chihiro. "Don't worry…"

"Whatever, you just better come back alive," Naomi replied. "Graduation is in 5 days. If you're not back by then, I'm coming in after you. Do you understand me?"

Chihiro smiled as they finally released each other, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Oh no you don't, I want an actual conformation!" complained Naomi, causing Chihiro to laugh.

"Alright, alright. I'll be back in 5 days or less," she said. "If not, I'll wait for you."

She slowly turned back and began to enter the tunnel.

"But Chihiro?" called Naomi.

"Yes?"

"If you decide to stay," she said with a sad smile, "please, let me know first."

Chihiro returned Naomi's smile before bowing her head, "I promise…"

Naomi continued to watch Chihiro travel deeper into the tunnel until she could no longer see her.

"What will be the ending to your story this time," she quietly said to herself. "I wonder…"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm glad you guys all like Naomi so much. When I first thought of this story, I didn't expect for her to be so popular. She was originally supposed to be a generic best friend. Her only role was to support Chihiro in every way possible. Lol she wasn't supposed to have a distinct personality because she was barely gonna be in the story. But my fellow writers know how things go sometimes. Characters sometimes do what they want and Naomi is DEFINITELY one of those people. But don't worry, her role in this story is FAR from over.<strong>


	5. Return to the Spirit World

**And We're back! Hey everyone hope you enjoy this latest update. For those of you who are enjoying the story, Trickedpast and I are working on a special project for you all. More details on that later :)**

**I still don't own anything...except, you know, the oc's. lol**

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><p>'<em>I don't believe it….I'm really here,' <em>Chihiro thought as she crossed over the dried up river.

She narrowly missed twisting her ankle when she stepped down on a slippery stone. Luckily for Chihiro, she was able to regain her balance and finish crossing safely. She remembered coming over the dead river with her parents years ago.

"_Hurry up Chihiro!" _Her mother said to her. _"Let's go!"_

It all seemed like it just happened yesterday. She trotted up the grassy hill and was greeted by a warm gentle breeze. This place was exactly like how she remembered it. She glanced over her shoulder to find that the dried up river was still in place.

'_The ocean will probably appear after sunset,'_ she thought. _'Its fine, I don't really plan on going back so soon anyway.'_

Suddenly, she caught a delicious aroma in the wind. It was faint, but Chihiro could definitely smell of roasted chicken. They had already begun preparing the food for the spirits. She looked up into the sky to see the position of the sun. It was nearly beginning to set. If Chihiro was going to make it to the bathouse before sunset, she had to hurry. She took off across the grassy plains and headed towards Yubaba's bath house.

'_Humans have a foul odor to spirits. If any of the bathhouse workers are awake right now, they may have already found my scent,' _she thought as she raced on. _'But I'm sure they're already waking up now because it's almost time for the bath house to open. I wonder just how strong my smell is. Can they really sniff me from this far away?'_

Her feet pattered under her as she ran across the cobbled stone street. Her reflection raced across the empty windows of the vintage restaurants. She didn't even stop to look over her shoulder as she paced the very food stand responsible for turning her parents into pigs. Just as before, there was a large buffet of delectable meats placed on the counter. Chihiro only had one place in her sights—Yubaba's bath house. It princely sat above the hill like a golden crown upon the head of a king. Chihiro sighed with relief that the candles had not yet been lit. She still had time.

'_If I can get to Kamaji's boiler room before sunset, maybe I can avoid being caught this time. And maybe Kamaji can help me find Haku,'_

It would've been a huge shock to her if Haku was still in the bath house. The last time she spoke to him, he said he was quitting Yubaba's apprenticeship. He could be anywhere in the spirit world by now. Hopefully Kamaji had some information about Haku's whereabouts. She carefully climbed up the stone stairs leading towards the bathhouse. Chihiro made certain to check her steps, she didn't want to miss a step and trip down the stairs. Since there was no railing to hold on to, the possibility of that happening was pretty high. Her pose and stamina had definitely improved over the years, but that didn't mean she wasn't still a little clumsy.

After what seemed like hours, Chihiro finally made it to the top of the stairs. She desperately resisted the urge to sit down and rest. For some reason, her journey so far took a lot out of her.

'_Why am I so tired? I don't remember being this exhausted the last time I was here,'_

She straightened herself up and continued on. Up head, was the bridge that connecting to the bathhouse. The long wooden bridge with red painted railings was just as Chihiro rememebered it. She breathlessly stood before it, too afraid to even make a move. She had always felt so insignificant and small whenever she crossed over that bridge. Every night, hundreds of powerful spirits crossed back and forth other this very bridge. So what right did she have?

Chihiro hesitated before advancing onto the bridge. She remembered crossing over the bridged with Haku after he'd save her from disappearing. She remembered the way she clung to him as they walked pass some incredibly strange looking spirits. Never in her life had she seen such creatures.

'_You'll have to hold your breath while we cross the bridge,' _he calmly told her. _'If you take a breath, then the spell will break and everyone will see you. Even the smallest breath will be enough to break the spell.'_

She stopped for a second and peered her head over the side of the bridge. She was amazed see the train tracks still submerged in the water below.

'_So they're still here, huh? I wonder if Lin left the bathhouse too. She was going to get on that train someday and never look back. Could she still be here?'_

Suddenly, a somber thought jumped into Chihiro's head.

'_What if Kamji's gone as well?' _she thought while slowing down her pace. _'What if there's really no one here at all who can help me? What will I do then? Was this all just a pointless trip?'_

Chihiro removed her ponytail holder from her hair and slipped it onto her wrist. She stood motionless as she examined the band close up. Her chestnut hair swiftly blew in the wind and partially concealed her face.

'_If there is no one at the bathhouse who can help me, then I can always visit Zeniba,' _she thought, tucking her hair behind her left ear. _'It might make more sense to see her anyway, but because the bathhouse is closer, I'll make this my first stop. I just hope my friends are still here. And hopefully, Yubaba hasn't detected me yet.'_

Before she knew it, Chihiro had safely traveled across the bridge. She was once again face to face with that treacherous bathhouse. She quickly ducked to the side of the building and headed for raggedy steps leading to Kamji's boiler room.

'_I see they still haven't gotten these fixed,' _she thought as she uneasy peaked over the edge. One wrong move and she could easily fall to her death into the ocean. She glanced down at the broken step just below her feet. _'Wow they really haven't bothered to fix this place at all. This beam is still broken from when I stepped on it 5 years ago.'_

Chihiro carefully stepped over the broken beam and made her journey down the stairs. She stayed as close to the wall as she could slowly climbing down.

'_This is a lot scarier than I remember,' _she thought. _'Easy does it…I did this once, I can do it again.'_

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"Kohaku, is something wrong?" asked Kita, as they sat by the edge of a river. "You look disturbed."

He had a vacant look in his eyes as he suddenly glanced over his shoulder. Kita followed his gaze with her eyes, but found nothing out of the error. What was the matter with him?

"Don't pretend like you don't feel it," he said softly.

"Eh, feel what? I'm not sure what you mean." she asked. Her face turned as pink as her hair.

He turned back towards the river and stared at his rippled reflection. Kita examined his troubled expression and waited for him to speak again.

"You must be able to sense it too. I can't be the only one with these feelings," he said. This time, he was looking directly at her.

"Ko…..Kohaku," she dreamily whispered. "I do sense it! I've sensed it all along, but I tried to keep it hidden! These feelings of yours…I have them as well!"

As she spoke, her amber eyes lit up with complete passion. She'd been dreaming of this moment for years now. This was the day that Kohaku expressed his love to her. At that moment, Kita swore she heard angels singing just for her.

"You silly girl," he said with a smirk. "I knew you were just pretending. Now come, we must explore."

"Yes! We should definitely explore these feelings we have!" she happily explained.

Haku nodded, "precisely. Although, I don't know how long our journey will be."

"But don't you see, Kohaku? That doesn't matter! All that matters is that we have each other. Nothing can stop us as long as we're together," said Kita as she jumped to her feet.

"Alright, then it's settled," said Haku, also rising to his feet. "We're going to investigate the source of this strange foreign source that's invaded the spirit world."

Kita's face dropped, "the what?"

"You know, the strange disturbance we've been feeling?" he tilted his head to the side. "The reason why our senses are acting up? Kita, we were just talking about."

"Uh, is that what we were talking about?" she sheepishly asked.

He looked at her sharply, "yes, what did you think we were talking about?"

"…Nothing," she lied.

"Are you alright, Kita? I meant to tell you that your face looks a little flushed," said Haku. "You're looking pinker than usual."

Naturally, Haku's comment made Kita blush even more.

'_How could I have been so stupid?' she thought. 'Of course that's what he was talking about! Gah, I'm such an idiot.'_

"Hey guys!" shouted a voice from above them.

A young man in a black kimono came splashing down in the river, "Hey is it just me, or is there something weird going on here?"

A vein popped in Kita's forehead, "Akira! You got me soaking wet—again! Stop splashing me! You know I hate cold water!"

"Haku doesn't seem to mind," he said with a shrug.

"That's because _Kohaku_ is a river spirit," said Kita, wringing out the sleeves of her kimono. "Of course he doesn't mind freezing water."

"Where's Riku?" Asked Haku. "I want to go investigating. Has he gone far?"

Akira looked over his shoulder, "huh? He was right behind me a second ago. I don't know where he went."

"I'm right here you idiot!" shouted a voice from below Akira.

A tiny white fox with 9 tails angrily gnawed at Akira's ankle. The poor little thing was completely drenched in river water. Kita quickly scooped him up and cradled him in her arms.

"Awwww, poor little Riku," she cooed, as she stroke his wet fur. "Look what you did Akira! Now he'll get sick!"

"Well no one told him to fling himself into the river like that," said Akira, stepping onto the banks. "It's kinda his fault."

"And no one told you to just dropped down into the water!" shouted the little fox. "I could have drowned!"

"Just what do you 2 have against water?" Akira complained. "It's just a shallow river. No one's going to die from it. Quit complaining!"

"Quit being so reckless and stupid!" Kita shot back.

"Ahem," said Haku, obviously trying to get the groups attention. "About that strange presence…."

"Oh yes, that's right," said Akira, "we're supposed to be investigating it, aren't we."

"I've never sensed anything like it before," said Kita staring up at the sky. "Do you think it's another evil spirit?"

"To tell you the truth," Riku began, "I sensed the presence of a human a few days ago."

"You think it might be another human?" asked Kita.

"It can't be," said Akira shaking his head. "It doesn't feel human. It feels...different. I can't explain it."

"I can't explain it either," said Haku. "But for some reason, it feels familiar to me. I don't know why..."

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

"Psst, Kamaji," Chihiro whispered as she tugged on one of the spider-like creature's sleeves. She finally reached Kamji's boiler room and wasn't about to just let him sleep."Wake up please. It's me, Sen."

Kamaji just simply turned over, placing his back to the girl. His long arms hung off the side of the platform he was sleeping on. Chihiro frowned and hurried to the front of the podium. She grabbed hold of his blanket and started to pull it off him. Sensing his body becoming colder, Kamaji subconsciously clung to his blanket. Chihiro couldn't believe her eyes. Was she really playing tug-of-war with someone who was asleep—and losing to him?

"Come on Kamaji," she grunted while tugging away. "Wake up!"

He mumbled incoherently in his sleep and eased up his grip on his blanket. Chihiro now had the upper hand. She pulled back with all her might.

_'Ugh, he's a harder sleeper than Dad,' _she thought.

All of the sudden, a loud steam whistle suddenly went off in the boiler room. Kamaji instantly popped up and let go of the quilt. Chihiro, who was still holding on, immediately fell backwards and was draped with the giant quilt.

"Ugh, time to get up already? It seems like I just went to bed," Kamaji angrily grumbled. "That darn Yubaba! I swear she switched up the hours on us. Don't remember getting up to prepare for work."

He glanced down at his quilt on the floor and scratched his head. Why was it moving? And what was that interesting smell coming from it? Curious, Kamaji reached down and yanked the quilt up. But he nearly dropped it down again once he realized who was underneath it.

"Ow, my head," moaned Chihiro, rubbing the top of her head. She looked up to see Kamaji gapping at her. "Hello Kamaji! It's nice to see you again. Glad you've finally woke up."

"Are these old eyes playing tricks on me again?" He asked himself, adjusting his sunglasses. "This can't be real, can it?"

Chihiro smiled, "no Kamaji. This is definitely real. I promise you."

"Sen!" he cried as he scooped her up. "Is that really you? You smell different, but just look at how you've grown!"

"Well, it has been a few years since I've last been here," she laughed as he gently placed her back down. "I would've grown at least a little."

"Hold on a second," he said furrowing his brow. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back in the human world?"

"Well yes, but—"

"Good morning Kamaji," rang a familiar voice. "I brought breakfast for you and your 'friends'."

"Hmph, those maggots aren't my friends," he scoffed.

Chihiro turned around to see Lin coming into the room carrying a basket of food. When Lin saw Chihiro, she completely froze. She couldn't take her eyes off the young girl.

"S-Sen?" she stammered.

"Lin, I'm so glad to see you," Chihiro greeted. "How are—"

"Sen!" exclaimed Lin happily. "Sen!"

Lin tightly embraced Chihiro as she rocked side to side. She couldn't believe she was actually here? How could this be happening?

"Sen, I can't believe it's you! The last time I saw you, you were just a puny squirt," said Lin, still holding onto Chihiro.

"Uh, Lin…" Chihiro grunted. Lin was squeezing her so tight, she could barely breathe.

"I mean, you're still puny don't get me wrong…but you've still grown a lot!" Lin continued, not realizing she was depriving her friend of air.

"Lin…."

"Even your hair's grown long. You're quite the young lady now!"

"…Lin,"

Lin suddenly thought about something, "hey, what are you doing here? I thought we sent you back years ago. Oh, don't tell me your parents did something stupid again because that would just be—"

"Oh, for goodness sake woman! Can't you see you're killing her?"said Kamaji. "Her face is turning all sorts of colors! You know how fragile humans are."

"Eh?" Lin looked down at the dying girl's face. She instantly set Chihiro down. "Oh, sorry about that Sen."

"It's okay," said Chihiro softly. _'Now I know what a tube of toothpaste feels like…ugh.'_

"But anyway," said Lin picking up her basket to feed Kamaji's soot ball spirits. "What are you doing here? Why'd you come back?"

Chihiro took a deep breath, "I guess you could say I'm here on a rescue mission."

"Rescue mission?" asked Lin. "So then your parents really have been captured again. Geez, you'd think they'd learn already."

"No," said Chihiro firmly. "This time, my parents aren't the ones I'm trying to save."

"Well who is it?" asked Kamaji.

He was busy working the controls of the boiler room. The bathhouse was now up and running and the workers upstairs were demanding their water for the tubs. The soot ball spirits screeched as they loaded their backs with coal and marched towards the burning furnace.

"A couple of days ago, a classmate of mine did something to upset a mountain spirit. As punishment, he spirited her away. He tried to attack my friends and me too," she held up her arm to reveal the band around her wrist. "But I think this protected us. Zeniba made it for me. I'm the only one who's been here before, so I figured I had to be the one to save her."

"You don't seem so thrilled about doing it," Lin noted.

'_Yeah, well there's a reason for that,' _Chihiro dryly thought. "Oh, where's Haku? Is he…still here?"

"Who, that loser?" said Rin with disdain. "He left right after you did. I don't know how he got away from Yubaba, but he did. I haven't seen him since then, but some of his friends stopped by the other night. They show up from time to time."

"His friends?" asked Chihiro.

"After he left, he joined some group called the guardians. They're supposed to patrol the lands and stuff like that," said Lin. "But if you ask me, they all seem like a bunch of whack jobs. Especially that pink-haired girl!"

"Maybe they can help me then," said Chihiro. "Do you know where I can find Haku and his group?"

"I heard they live in a forest fortress a few miles west from here. Sorry those directions are completely vague, but that's all I know," shrugged Lin.

"Sen, tell me something," said Kamaji over his shoulder. "This mountain spirit, did you catch his name?"

Chihiro nodded, "I think he said his name was Masaru, spirit of the Nakamura Mountain. Why, do you know him?"

"I was afraid he was the one you were referring to," he coldly responded.

"That jerk is at it again I see," said Lin shaking her head. "Why does he always do this?"

"He's just a bitter soul,"

"So he's feared here in the spirit world as well," said Chihiro sadly. "What am I gonna do now?"

Kamaji turned to her, "if you want to save your friend, then you've got to go find Haku and have him take you to Zeniba. You have to hurry before it's too late."

"What happens if I'm too late?"

"He'll eventually grow bored and kill her," he grimly answered.

Chihiro took a huge gulp. Kamaji's answer was obvious, but it was still a shock to hear it out loud.

"Sen, speaking of dying," said Lin pulling out a piece of bread from her basket. "You might wanna eat this. You're starting to disappear."


	6. A Spiritual Reunion

**I own nothing...that still hasn't changed! Anyway, sorry that this chapter is a bit long. But...I think you guys will enjoy this one :)**

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><p>"Thank-you, Lin," said Chihiro as she accepted a warm cup of tea.<p>

She was seated comfortably on Kamaji's pillow. Lin plopped down beside her.

"It's been ages since I sat with you, huh?" Lin beamed. "I still can't believe you're here right now."

"Neither can I," Chihiro agreed. "It feels strange being back after all these years."

"But you can't stay here," said Kamaji. "Yubaba would be furious if she discovered your presence in the bathhouse."

"I'm actually surprised she hasn't yet," Lin said, stretching a bit.

"I think it's because of Sen's new scent," Kamaji concluded. "She certainly doesn't smell like a typical human."

"My scent? Do you think it's my hair band that's causing it?" asked Chihiro, sipping her tea.

Kamaji nodded, "I'm almost certain. But I don't know how long its effects are."

"Well, I got it 5 years ago and it's still working now…maybe its permanent?"

Lin shrugged, "eh, who knows. At least you're undetectable by that nasty witch."

"Even so, Sen, you can't stay here. It's too dangerous," Kamaji gravely stated.

Chihiro nodded, "I understand. I'll leave right away."

"Huh? Sen, you can't be serious? You're really gonna go out there alone? And at this time of night?" asked Lin with alarm.

"If I stay here, I'll only endanger everyone. I'm going," Chihiro protested.

"But Sen,"

Chihiro firmly shook her head, "I won't be alone, Lin. I'll have Haku with me. I'll find him."

"You don't even know how to get to dragon boy's house," pouted Lin. "At least wait till morning. Someone can take you then."

"By that time, it may be too late," said Chihiro softly.

"She's right," said Kamaji, nodding his head. "In a way, it's much safer for her to leave now."

"But, she just got here," Lin sighed.

Kamaji dug into his dresser and pulled out a golden compass.

"Take this," he said, extending his long arm halfway across the room to Chihiro.

"Really?" she asked. "You're giving this to me, Kamaji?"

He nodded, "You need this much more than I do. If you're ever lost and can't find your way, then let this be your guide."

Chihiro smiled, "thank-you, Kamaji. And thank-you too, Lin. It was really good seeing you two."

"And you're sure you'll be alright on your own?" asked a concern Lin.

"Something tells me that I'll be okay," she beamed running back to the exit. "You really shouldn't worry too much about me."

"Well, I guess I can't stop you," said Lin, folding her arms. "But you'd better not get yourself killed, you hear me?"

Chihiro giggled, "yes, m'am."

…. 0

Naomi quietly tipped toed down her corridor and stood at the top of the stairs. She heard soft murmurs coming from the foyer and listened carefully. She could hear her mother arguing with a man. But who? Her father was still at work and her brother was in his room. So who was she talking to? Naomi inched down the stairs and stayed close to the wall. She began to recognize the man's voice. It was Detective Katsu.

_'What?'_ she thought. _' Why is he here?'_

"Look, I know it's late and I really am sorry for coming so late," groaned Detective Katsu as he lingered in the doorway. "But I need to talk to her."

"You've questioned her enough already!" fussed Mrs. Ikeda. "Now, please leave before my husband comes home. I don't want him causing a fuss."

"This is really important," he persisted.

"I don't care!" she retorted. "Get off my property!"

She angrily slammed the door, but Katsu stopped it with his foot and forced it back open.

"Are you aware that your daughter's best friend, Chihiro Ogino, has been missing for several hours?"

Mrs. Ikeda's eyes suddenly softened as she took her weight off the door, "Chihiro's missing?"

"Well, not officially. It's still too early to report her missing." he said, straightening out his suit. "She ran up to her room after I finished questioning her this afternoon and hasn't been seen since. Her mother called the office a little while ago."

"Really? I don't believe this," said Mrs. Ikeda moving away from the door. "Why didn't her parents call me?"

"They say they've been calling her phone for hours, but their calls go straight to voicemail," he answered as he sauntered into the house. "They're especially worried because of something she said before she went missing."

Mrs. Ikeda closed the door behind him, "what did she say?"

"She told me that Rena Sayomi had been spirited away by the Spirit of the Nakamura Mountain."

Naomi felt her heart stop.

"What? Why would she say such a thing? Chihiro's always been such a reasonable girl," Mrs. Ikeda replied. "I don't understand."

"Maybe we can both understand if we talk to your daughter," he said. "Rena destroyed Chihiro's notebook in the basement of the hotel. That notebook was of utter importance to her. When I spoke with her Mother on the phone moments ago, she told me that Chihiro left it out by accident one day. Out of curiosity, she picked it up one day and opened to a random page. Apparently, Chihiro wrote a story about a girl travelling to the Spirit World."

"The Spirit World?"

He nodded, "It was written in great detail also. Ms. Ogino recalled feeling a strange feeling after reading the story."

"Maybe Chihiro witnessed Rena being kidnapped and was threatened. She may have referred to her story as a cover up," Ms. Ogino expressed.

"It's possible. Something strange is going on here and I _will_ get to the bottom of this," he said folding his arms. "Get your daughter for me. I'd like to speak with her."

"Alright then, just a second," she replied. "Naomi! Naomi, come down here please."

Naomi slithered back up the stairs as quietly as she could. Katsu was growing dangerously suspicious. Just what did he want to ask her?

"Naomi!" Her mother called for her.

She quickly ran into the nearest room and slammed the door behind her.

"Ugh, why are you here?" groaned her older brother, Shin. He was lounging in a bean bag chair in the middle of the floor playing on his PS3. "Go see what Mom wants. I hear her calling you."

"Help me!" she screeched.

"I'm busy right now. Please come back never." He dryly replied. Not once did he take his eyes off the screen.

"Damn it, Shin! You've beaten this stupid game 3 times already!" she complained. "Everyone already knows that the cake is a lie! Gah, the graphics of this game give me a headache!"

"I use to care about your opinion, but then I—"

Naomi quickly darted over to his side, "Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

Shin laughed and turned his attention back to his game, "what do you need help with?"

"Detective Katsu's here and wants to question me again!" she panicked.

"So answer his questions,"

She glared at him, "I don't want to answer his questions! That's why I need your help!"

"You want me to help you avoid answering more questions? I always knew one day you'd ask me to help you escape the police," he smirked as he jammed away at the buttons of his controller. "I just didn't think it'd be for such a stupid reason."

"Ugh! You don't understand the urgency of this situation!" She whined.

"Exactly what happened with Chihiro? You still haven't told me," he flatly replied.

"Because I can't tell you! I can't tell anyone! Besides, you'll never believe me," she told him.

"Try me," Shin urged her.

Naomi moved towards him and lowered her voice, "what would you say if I told you that Rena was kidnapped by an evil demon and that Chihiro left to rescue her?"

"I'd say 'you're crazy and you read too much shounen,'"

"But I'm telling you, that's exactly what happened!"

"Then you're crazy and you read too much shounen," he simply replied.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me!" she complained.

"Naomi! I know you hear me calling you!" shouted her mother from the hall. Naomi could hear another set of footsteps in the hall with her. Katsu! They were headed towards her room.

"Oh no! They're coming! What am I gonna do?" She freaked.

Shin sighed, "There's an easy way out of this."

"How? What should I do?"

"Go to bed," he instructed.

"Bed? How is that gonna solve anything? Shin, you're my big brother! You're supposed to help me out of sticky situations! That's what big brothers do! I can't believe you're just gonna leave me out to die like this and—"

"Naomi, just go to bed already,"

Without even thinking, she tossed herself onto Shin's bed. She turned onto her side and faced the wall. At that moment, they heard a loud knocking on the door.

"Enter my domain," Shin called out.

"Shin, do you know where Naomi is?" asked his mother. "She's not in her room and I've been calling her for about 5 minutes."

"Right over there," he said pointing to his bed.

"Why is she in here?"

"I think I wore her out," he told her. "We were playing Portal."

"You know that game makes her dizzy," she fussed. "Why would you let her play?"

"She came barging in here and asked to play. How can I refuse my sweet little sister?" Shin innocently asked. "I was just being nice."

Mrs. Ikeda sighed as she shook her head, "You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Mom, it hurts to know you doubt my kindness," he said putting his hand over his heart. "I think my heart's breaking."

She rolled her eyes, "Just make sure Naomi gets to her room at some point. And go to bed at a reasonable hour. You still have a week of school left."

"Yes, m'am," he humbly replied.

"How unfortunate," said Katsu as he lingered in the doorway. "I was really looking forward to hearing about her Spirit World story."

Shin nearly dropped his controller when he heard that. He tried to hide is shocked expression from the detective.

"I'm sure she'll tell me all about it when I return in the morning," said Natsu.

"I'm sure she will also," Shin responded.

He suspiciously glared at Naomi's figure on the bed. Shin glanced over his shoulder at the detective. There was something about him that just didn't seem right. And he definitely didn't like the way he was looking at his sister! Mrs. Ikeda and the detective promptly left the room and went back down stairs.

"They're gone!" said Naomi sitting up. "Thanks for covering for me."

He paused his game and turned to face Naomi. She was a little surprised by the firmness in his eyes.

"Naomi, what's going on?" he asked. "Why's Katsu asking about the Spirit World? What did you say to him?"

"I didn't say anything," she whispered. "Chihiro's the one who told him everything. She didn't think he'd believe her either."

He calmly got up from his chair and stared out the window. He watched as Detective Katsu pulled out of their drive way and drove off. For some reason, Katsu seemed to be in a hurry.

"Alright fine," Shin sighed. "Tell me everything…and then I'll decide if I believe you or not."

…0

Chihiro quickly scurried past the lively shops. Business, as usual, was booming for the restaurants surrounding the bathhouse. It was a completely different atmosphere from earlier. Everything always seemed to come to life at night in this place. Chihiro tried not to get in anyone's way. She didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.

"I can't believe you broke it!" exclaimed a little sprite. He and his friend stood in front of a broken shop window. "You're gonna get in trouble! Why'd you throw the ball at the window like that?"

The other sprite took a step back, "you were supposed to catch it! Don't blame it all on me!"

Just as Chihiro approached, the two young boys darted in the opposite direction screaming.

_'Eh? What was that about?'_ she thought. She felt a crunch under her shoe and stopped to investigate. _'It's glass. This window…it's broken. So that's why they ran off like that._

She peered into the shop through the broken window. It appeared to be some kind of outdated restaurant. There were dirty pots and pans all over the tables and messy cabinets. There weren't even any lights on. Chihiro was convinced that the shop was abandoned. Just as she was turning to walk away, the door to the storage room swung open. A large man in a dirty apron emerged. His angry black eyes met with Chihiro's and he raced out to the front of the shop. A nasty scowl exploded across his reddened face.

"Despicable little wench!" he hollered . "You broke my window!"

"No, it wasn't me," she argued. "It was already broken when I got here."

But he wasn't listening, "and now you make up lies! I hope you're prepared to cover the expenses!"

"Expenses? I don't have any money!" she shot back. "And even if I did, I wouldn't pay because I _didn't _do it!"

She tried to run, but the angry merchant grabbed onto her wrist and dragged Chihiro inside of his dingy little shop. Chihiro tried to break free, but it was no use. He threw her inside of the storage room and turned to fumble with something. Chihiro, realizing she was finally free, tried to make a run for it.

"You're not getting away," he sneered as he blocked her from the door way. He was now holding a dimly lit candle on a rusty holder.

Chihiro backed away from the approaching threat—not that she had anywhere to go! She felt her heart drop down into the pit of her stomach as he closed the door behind him. The only light in the room was from his candle. It didn't help that his terrifying expression was heightened by the illumination of the candle.

"You will be my personal slave and work until your death," he said darkly. The merchant smirked at the sudden fear that quelled in Chihiro's eyes. "Or would you rather I sold you? There are plenty of men who'd be interested in buying a fresh young girl."

"D-Don't come any closer!" she weakly threatened, backing into what she assumed was a shelf. "I'm warning you!"

"Hmph, or what?" he dryly asked, shoving her to the floor.

At that moment, a gust of wind forced the door open. It was so strong, that it blew out the merchant's candle. The merchant dropped the candle stick in a blind rage.

"Who's there?" he hissed, angrily punching the air. "Who's there?"

A white swirl of wind appeared and struck him in the jaw. The merchant was attacked again, but this time in the stomach. Chihiro stared in amazement as he was hit repeatedly. The swirls of wind almost resembled fists. Finally, he sunk to the ground and moaned in pain. It was obvious that the man was no longer a threat to Chihiro's life. She scrambled to her feet and made a bee line for the exit.

_'I have to get out of here! I don't want to end up like him,' _she thought as she stumbled into the main shop.

But she was so busy looking over her shoulder, that she didn't see the counter full of dishes in front of her. Chihiro slammed her hip into the side of the counter and collapsed onto the floor. She covered her head as the pile of dishes came crashing down around her. She rubbed her hip in agony when it was all over.

Chihiro suddenly felt that same gush of wind again. But the wind had a different feeling to it this time. It wasn't as hostile. A dark figure lingered in the darkened doorway behind her. Slowly, Chihiro rose to her feet to face her savior.

"So I was right," said a calm, yet familiar voice. "It was you, Chihiro."

Chihiro gasped, "Haku?"

The closer he got to her, the clearer his face became. It really was Haku. He looked just as he did the last time she saw him. Perhaps a little taller? Chihiro froze the minute she looked into his sparkling green eyes. His face, however, was as stoic as ever. Had she struck a nerve with him?

"Haku!" she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Chihiro?" he casually asked.

She glanced down at her feet, "I hope you aren't too upset that I'm here. I know you went through a lot to send me back home. But I have a very good reason for—"

Chihiro was cut off as Haku wrapped his arms around her. He smiled as Chihiro ran into his arms and buried her face into his chest. He gently wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Chihiro struggled to hold back her tears of joy as she and Haku embraced.

"I…I thought I'd never see you again," he whispered, squeezing her tighter. "I'd almost lost hope, Chihiro."

She blushed, "you mean…you thought about me?"

"Of course I did," he said, releasing her. "You're my savior, Chihiro. You gave me back my name and freedom along with it. Without you, I probably wouldn't even be alive right now."

"You saved my life first, remember?" she innocently asked.

Haku wiped away Chihiro's tears and gently cupped her face. Her beauty had grown. Her once youthful brown eyes had definitely matured over the years. It was Haku's first time seeing Chihiro with her hair down. She had changed, but it was for the better. Chihiro had blossomed. He slowly shut his eyes and brought his face closer to her's.

'_Haku…' _Chihiro dreamily thought, closing her eyes as well. _'Is this really happening? Is he…is he really going to kiss me?'_

But just as their lips were about to touch, the door to the shop flung open. Both of them almost jumped out of their skins!

"Kohaku!" shouted Kita. "Are you alright! Some kids said there was something suspicious going on in here."

"And the location of the mysterious source is coming from in here," added Riku, hanging from Kita's shoulder.

"Yo, Haku!" Akira exclaimed. "Dude, you gotta try these fried donut things! They're awesome!"

All three of them were stunned to find Haku embracing a young girl. Akira nearly dropped his food on the floor, Riku almost fell off Kita's shoulder, and Kita's eyes were seconds away from bugging out of their sockets. Haku and Chihiro quickly separated and awkwardly stared in opposite directions.

'_Perfecting timing as usual,' _Haku sarcastically thought.

"Are we interrupting something?" asked Riku. "If so, we'd be happy to leave."

"No way! Haku, you dog, you didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" Akira teased. "I can't believe you kept this a secret."

"I can't believe she's human," Riku dryly said. "And not just any human. She's one of the 2 we've been looking for."

"Everyone, this is Chihiro," Haku replied.

"Hello there," Akira greeted. "My name is Akira of the Guardians."

"Oh, well since this is our first meeting, I should greet you in a proper form," said Riku dauntingly.

He jumped up from Kita's shoulder and, in a flash of light, transformed into a young man in a grey kimono. He had long dark hair pulled up into a high ponytail and red facial markings on each cheek.

"Hello, I'm Riku," he greeted. "Pleased to me you, Miss."

Both Akira and Riku waited for Kita to introduce herself next. Instead, she pretended not to pay attention. She quietly gazed at the far corner of the room and softly hummed to herself. Finally, Akira jabbed her with elbow.

"Ow! You jerk! Why'd you do that?" she complained.

"Stop being rude to Haku's friend and introduce yourself!"

Kita glared at Chihiro, causing the girl to shiver.

"I'm Kita," she sharply stated.

"I'm really glad to meet all of you," said Chihiro uneasily. "You seem like very nice people."

"Well now that we're aquatinted, do you mind explaining what you're doing here?" Riku asked. "Exactly who are you?"

"We'll discuss that later," Haku responded, taking Chihiro by the hand walking pass them. "Let's just hurry up and go home. The walls have ears in this place."

"Oh, he's already taking her home," snickered Akira. "Hey, Riku. You should take a page out of Haku's book!"

Riku shot him a dirty look, "shut-up!"

Kita quietly followed after the group and continued to keep quiet. Akira turned towards her with concern.

"Are you okay, Kita?" he wondered.

Kita forced a smile as she eagerly swung her arms, "I'm okay. It was just kinda dreary in that old shop."

"Okay then," he replied, happily accepting her answer.

Kita couldn't help but watch Haku and Chihiro. She'd never seen him so happy before. No matter how many times Kita tried to make Haku happy, she never got more than a tiny smirk. So what did this human girl have that she didn't? What made her so special?

As Haku led the group away from the town, an all too familiar figure watched them from a far. Yubaba sat in a window of her bathhouse, overlooking the entire town. She smirked at the sight of their new addition.

'_So, Sen thinks she can just waltz back into my territory without even so much as a hello?' _she thought. _'Oh, that just won't do. No, it just won't do at all. And just what reason does she have for being here this time? I believe a little investigation is in order.'_

…**.0**

Detective Katsu drove swiftly through the night. He still had things he needed to take care of before going home. . Katsu carefully pulled out his phone and dialed a number. He waited as the phone continued to ring on the line.

"Hello?" said a voice on the other end.

"It's me," said Katsu. "I think I may have found it. Meet me at the office."

* * *

><p>...and it's the another evil cliffhanger! I know, some of you probably want to kill me right now. But if you did that then this story would never be complete! You should wanna kill Haku's friends more. They're the one's cock blocking! XD<p> 


	7. Dark Enchantment

**I own nothing but my oc's**

* * *

><p>"Mom, I'm leaving!" called Naomi from the front door. She zipped up her jacket and slipped her on her backpack.<p>

"Alright, have a good day," shouted her mother from upstairs.

_'Strange, I thought she'd have more to say to me,' _she thought while stepping into her shoes. _'This is the first day of school since the disaster that happened over the weekend. I'm sure my classmates will askabout it. Some might even be angry about the trip being cut short. Eh, I could care less about those morons. It's the last week of school anyway. Let them fuss!'_

She headed out the door and found Reiji there waiting for her. He had a sour look on his face as he angrily tapped his watch. But Naomi wasn't bothered by him.

"Why does it always take you so long?" he questioned. "You're gonna make us late."

She rolled her eyes and stormed pass him, "Reiji, were not even close to being late. Stop whining so much. It's not attractive."

"Feh, like I care about being attractive to you," he hissed as they walked to school. " I wish Chihiro were here. Then I wouldn't be stuck with you."

"You didn't have to wait for me," she pointed out. "It was your own choice. Besides, Chihiro can't be here right now."

"I know that. What I don't understand, is why she didn't take you with her," he grunted. "Isn't it supposed to be every girl's dream to have an adventure in a magical land?"

"Because people would grow even more suspicious if I disappeared too!" she snapped.

"Suspicious? You'd think the disappearance of two girls, from the same school, would be all over the news. I haven't even heard them mention this once."

Naomi suddenly looked at Reiji. He was right! The story wasn't on the news at all. Was it that people didn't care?

"Come to think of it," she pondered. "We haven't really been questioned by any other officers other than Katsu. He's the only one I've seen come around here. I wonder why."

"Maybe he wants the case all to himself," shrugged Reiji. "He gives me the creepiest vibe."

Naomi nodded, "I know exactly what you mean. He came over my house last night, demanding to talk to me. Mom refused at first, but gave in when he mentioned Chihiro's disappearance. But I pretended to be asleep, so he never got the chance. But I know he'll come back. He's annoyingly persistent."

"What did your parents say about any of this?"

"Nothing at all," Naomi admitted. "Mom didn't even say anything to me on my way out, which is strange. She seemed so concerned last night. It's almost like she forgot about the whole thing."

Reiji almost stopped in mid step, "same thing with my parents. They haven't mentioned anything about the resort incident since last night."

"There's something else I should tell you," said Naomi. "About the reason why Katsu wanted to talk to me last night anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Chihiro told him what really happened to Rena," explained Naomi.

Reiji's eyes widened, "why would she do that?"

"I'm not really sure why," Naomi confessed. "She was probaly fed up from all the questioning. I doubt she expected him to believe her."

"Do you think he believed her story?"

"I don't know if he believes her or if he just thinks she's crazy. But I do know that he's already questioned Chihiro's mother about it. He knows about the story she wrote back in 5th grade."

Reiji frowned, "the dragon boy story that you go completely nuts over?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Only, that wasn't a story. It really happened to her 5 years ago."

"Well I kind of figured it was true after actually being attacked by a dragon," he dryly commented. "By the way, that was not a fun experience!"

Naomi rolled her eyes, "regardless of if he believes the story or not, he's growing dangerously suspicious. We should be very careful of what we say to him from here on out."

The pair continued chatting on their way to school. They were so into their conversation, that they didn't even noticed the black car with tented windows parked on the side of the street. Katsu and two other men peered at the two from inside the car.

By the time Naomi and Reiji made it to school, most of their classmates were already there. It seemed like a typical school day. Everyone was in their perspective groups, chatting away. Things were oddly relaxed for a class that just loss 2 classmates.

"Everyone's acting so normal," Reiji noted. "You'd think they be a little upset about last weekend."

"Huh?" Naomi gasped as she glanced over to an empty spot in the room. This spot had previously been occupied by Chihiro's desk.

"Is this some kind of cruel joke?" she snapped. "What happened to Chihiro's desk? I know she's gone missing, but she's still a part of this class!"

"Naomi, are you feeling okay today?" asked Suzume, the class rep. "If not, then you should go see the nurse."

"I'm fine," she snapped back. "You are the ones acting strange. Why did you move Chihiro's desk?"

"Chihiro? Who is that?" asked Suzume.

"Chihiro! She's about this tall, wears her hair in a ponytail, is constantly writing in a journal!" Naomi's anger was beginning to elevate. "Don't play dumb with me!"

"We don't have anyone named Chihiro in our class," said Suzume calmly.

Naomi's eyes widened. How could that be possible? This had to have been some kind of joke.

She was about to say more, but Reiji interjected.

"You seriously don't know Chihiro Ogino?" he suspiciously asked.

Suzume shrugged, "I'm afraid I don't."

"What about Rena Sayomi? Do you know her?"

"Look, I don't know what game you two are playing, but you need to stop," said Suzume harshly. "There's no one in this class named Chihiro Ogino or Rean Sayomi. There never has been,"

"I could care less if you don't remember Rena," Naomi snapped. "But you have to remember Chihiro! This isn't making any sense!"

"Hey, maybe their minds are still a little cloudy from this weekend," said a male classmate. "They probably think we're still on vacation."

"Vacation?" Naomi wondered out loud. "You mean the resort trip, right?"

"Of course," he said. "You and Reiji spent a lot of time alone. Ha, just what were you up to?"

_'Wait, how is it that they remember the trip, but not Chihiro or Rena?' _thought Naomi.

"Wasn't our trip cut short?" asked Reiji.

Suzume carefully examined him, "no, we got their Friday and left Sunday. We stayed the entire weekend."

"Okay, whose ass do I have to kick to get some answers around here?" Naomi angrily shouted as she stomped down on the floor.

Reiji firmly grabbed her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. Naomi was about to blow a fuse! If he didn't take control of the situation soon, things would get ugly. Suzume was already preparing to fire back at her.

"Sorry about all that," he laughed. "We were just playing a little joke on everyone."

"Well you shouldn't do that," Suzume scolded. "You nearly scared the class half to death. Everyone was starting to think you'd gone crazy."

She stormed away from them and rejoined her friends across the room. Everyone slowly went back to their normal routines. Naomi plopped down on her desktop and stared off into space. Reiji sat down in the empty desk in front of her and turned his chair.

"I don't believe any of this," she whispered. "Why doesn't anyone remember?"

"What if something horrible happened to them on the other side?" he darkly asked. "What if they were killed and that's the reason no one remembers them?"

"Don't say things like that!" She scolded. "That's not the reason at all."

"Then what is?" he snapped.

"I don't know!"

"Getting worked up won't solve anything, Naomi." he said gently. "I've tried my best to make sense of the situation."

"Chihiro is fine. She's with Haku," she softly replied, while tapping her pencil on her desk. "And as long as she's with him, she'll be safe. He would never let anything happen to her."

"Naomi, you're too much of a romantic for your own good," he heavily sighed.

"Why are we the only ones who remember?" Naomi softly thought, glancing out the window.

"Maybe it's a ploy to keep the existence of the spirit world a secret from humans," Reiji suggested.

"Then our memories would've been altered too," she pointed out.

"Something else is at work here."

"You think it's another spiritual being?"

"Obviously, what human has the power to do something like this? We need to do a little research," Naomi said, looking back at him. _'At least we'll have Katsu off our backs. That's one rat I won't need to worry about.'_

…...

"Alright, it's explaining time!" Akira happily exclaimed. "So, Miss Chihiro, who exactly are you? And how do you know my friend Haku? How did you get here? Where did you come from?"

"Akira, stop overwhelming her!" Riku fussed. He was back in his tiny kitsune form. Chihiro wondered if he preferred that form over his humanoid appearance.

Haku and his friends were seated across from Chihiro on the floor of a large tatami room. A gentle warm breeze blew through the door from the garden and rustled everyone's hair. Chihiro shyly looked down into her lap and nervously played with her hands.

"I first met Haku as a young child when I fell into his river," she explained. "He rescued me and carried me back to shore. Years after that, my parents and I ended up being trapped in the spirit world. And Haku was there to rescue me again…..it's a pretty long story."

"Wait, are you the girl that saved him from the bathhouse and gave him back his name?" asked Riku.

Chihiro nodded, "yes, that was me."

"Haku told us about that, but I always imagined it was another spirit," said Riku with fascination. "I never imagined that it was a human that saved him."

"I did tell you she was human," Haku muttered. "You just weren't paying attention."

"You must be very strong for a human," Akira exclaimed.

"Oh, I wouldn't say all that," Chihro said, blushing slightly.

"That bathhouse is evil," said Akira. "I'm so glad you freed him. Then we never would've met Haku."

"If it's so evil, then why are you such a frequent visitor?" Haku sourly asked.

"It might be evil, but it's got major quality," he laughed. "Plus, that cute weasel girl wants me!"

"Akira, she insults you everything single time she sees you," Riku reminded him. "In what way does that translate into love?"

He nodded, "she just hasn't realized that she's in love with me yet. All in good time, Riku, all in good time."

_'Weasel girl? Could they be talking about Lin?' _Chihiro thought. _'I wonder why she didn't mention that earlier.'_

"So, just for the record, you're not Kohaku's girlfriend?" asked Kita.

She'd kept quiet for the entire conversation. She didn't even say anything on the journey back. Chihiro suspected that this wasn't her usual behavior.

"Um, no," Chihiro uneasily answered. "I'm not."

"Are you his fiancé?" Kita questioned.

"…no,"

"Are you and Kohaku romantically linked in anyway?"

"Enough," Haku coldly demanded.

His green eyes flashed with anger, causing Kita to recoil a bit. Akira and Riku uncomfortably shifted around; desperately trying to disturb the awkward silence in the room. Chihiro quietly looked down into her lap and twiddled her thumbs. She was doing her best to avoid Haku's harsh gaze.

"Chihiro, please don't take this the wrong way, but why have you suddenly returned?" asked Haku, softening his tone. "You said earlier that you had a reason for coming back. If you have a problem, tell me. I'll do what I can to help you."

"We are the self appointed Guardians of the Spirit World after all," Akira chided. "It's our job to keep things orderly. We've traveled all across the land dealing with evil foes."

"Surely we can be of some service," said Riku.

"I came here to save a classmate of mine," she said. "She was kidnapped by a mountain spirit named Masaru."

"Masaru," Riku groaned. "We've dealt with him before, but weren't able to defeat him," sighed Riku.

"We haven't fought recently. He's been eerily quiet. But, things will be different this time!" Akira said as he patted Haku on the shoulder. "We have more man power."

"That may be, but defeating him will still be difficult," Haku commented. "He's extremely powerful….we'll need a strategy to beat him…"

"Of course, you should know, our services for personal cases aren't free," said Kita dryly. "So if you can't properly pay us, then just have to be on your way."

Haku shot her a warning look, "she doesn't need to pay us."

"Why not?" asked Kita. "She's a potential client, correct? We always require payment from our clients. It's the least they can do for taking our time away from our other cases."

"Yes, other cases that we conduct ourselves," he reminded her. "Earlier today we investigated the disturbance felt across the land. We discovered that the two humans, Chihiro and her friend—"

"Classmate," Chihiro cut in.

"Classmate," Haku corrected before continuing on, "Were the ones responsible. When a human enters the Spirit World, vibes are often felt all around the land. We found one human, so now we must find the other."

"And it's just been confirmed that the other one is with Masaru," said Riku.

"So basically," Akira joined in, "we're still working the same case. Chihiro's not a client, she's a witness. And last time I checked, witnesses didn't have to pay us."

"Is everything alright with you?" asked Haku, turning to Kita. "Your behavior has been all over the place lately."

She angrily crossed her arms, "I'm just fine!"

"Hey, Kita," snickered Akira, jabbing her in arm. "You should stick to pink cause green is _not _your color!"

"Green?" Haku wondered. "What do you mean by that?"

She quickly shot up and headed towards the door, "I don't have to take this from you! Come find me when you're ready to leave."

Kita stormed out into the corridor and pulled the door shut behind her. But not without giving Chihiro a dirty look. Chills traveled up and down Chihiro's spine. She felt as if Kita just threw a thousand mental daggers straight at her face.

_'Whoa, if looks could kill,' _she thought. _'I think I'd prefer Rena!'_

"Pay her no mind," said Haku, sensing her discomfort.

"Anyway," said Chihiro, taking everyone's mind off Kita. "I talked to Kamaji about the situation. He said for you to take me to Zeniba. If anyone knows how to stop Masaru, it's her."

He nodded, "that's true. I'm assuming my collages haven't tried that in the past."

"What? Receiving help from a witch? That's not the Guardian way, Haku," Akira jokingly scolded him. "For shame…"

"That band on your wrist, did you get it from her?" Haku asked, ignoring Akira's comment.

She nodded, "she gave it to me when I returned the seal for you. I kept it after all these years."

"There's a spell on it," he explained. "That must be why your scent has changed. But I never picked up on it before. It must've been dormant all this time."

"It protected my friends and me from Masaru. We would've been captured to if it hadn't scared him off," she told them. "I think that's when it was activated."

Haku nodded, "is everyone okay with leaving early in the morning?"

"Of course we are," Riku yawned. "It's too late to do anything right now."

"Yeah, and I need my beauty sleep," said Akira.

"No amount of sleep is gonna cure that ugly mug," Riku jeered, scurrying out the room.

"My woman doesn't think I'm ugly!" he shouted, following after him.

"For the last time, she does not want you!"

Chihiro laughed at the two. She couldn't help but find Akira and Riku's antics cute. If only Kita could be that likable. Chihiro picked up on Kita's feelings right away. It was painfully obvious that she was in love with Haku and saw Chihiro as competition. Even Akira and Riku noticed. The only person who didn't notice was Haku himself.

This made Chihiro a little nervous. She and Haku had been separated for 5 long years. People often move on to other people during a time frame like that. Not that they were together in the first place. Kita got to spend more time with Haku then she ever did. What if Kita suddenly confessed her feelings for him? Would that justify her words and actions up to this point? And what if Haku returned Kita's feelings once she confessed? Chihiro somberly thought about her status in Haku's life.

_'But back then…he almost kissed me. He never did that before.' _she thought. _'Was he just caught up in the moment? He got pretty upset earlier when Kita was questioning our relationship. Was he angered because he doesn't feel that way about me? Then again, she was probing. Haku's the kind of person that likes his privacy.'_

"Chihiro, I hope you don't plan on staying here all night," Haku laughed.

She was so wrapped up in her troubles that she didn't realize he was standing before her, holding out his hand to her. Chihiro gracefully took his hand and pulled herself up. He began leading her out of the room and into the corridor. Chihiro felt her heart flutter as soon as she realized they were still holding hands.

_'What am I thinking? This is no different from before. We always held hands,' _she thought as she shyly glanced up at Haku.

"I'm sorry about before," he said.

"Before?"

"About Kita," he explained. "I'm honestly not sure what her problem is. Kita's usually a sweet girl. I'll have to talk with her later."

"Oh, it's alright. She didn't really bother me," Chihiro lied.

He smiled down at her, "I'd forgotten how strong you were, Chihiro. You are definitely not like anyone I've ever met."

She turned away to hide her blushing face, _'What's the matter with me? It was so much easier to be around him when I was 10! Gah, at this rate my face will permanently match Kita's hair color! I wish Naomi were here. What am I saying? No I don't! She'd go into fangirl mode and make this situation much more awkward then it needs to be! Why can't I stop blushing? Ugh, I'm such a loser!'_

Haku noticed her silent struggles and quietly chuckled to himself. Though she'd matured, she still retained some of her inner youthfulness. That flustered look in her eyes made her look absolutely adorable.

"This is where you'll stay for the time being," he told her. "It's just one of our many spare rooms."

"The room is very nice," she said, hanging her head down. "Thank-you for taking me in like this."

"Don't worry, we'll do everything we can to help you and your friend,"

"Classmate," she dryly corrected.

Haku blinked in confusion, "do you not like this girl? You seem unwilling to call her your friend."

Chihiro sighed, "Rena's not exactly my favorite person."

"Then why go through all the trouble of saving her?"

"Because no one else could," Chihiro explained. "And…it just wouldn't be right to leave her here to die. So I have to."

Haku gently wrapped his arms around Chihiro's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"You're still as selfless as ever," he praised. "It's a trait I've always loved about you."

Chihiro looked at him with surprise, "Really?"

"Indeed," he answered. "But I should learn to follow your example. I'm afraid I've been selfishly keeping you from your sleep."

"No, you aren't being selfish at all," she told him. "I don't mind staying up with you, Haku."

But he shook his head, "we'll all need our rest for the upcoming events. Rest up, Chihiro. I'll come for you in the morning."

He started to leave but paused halfway through the doorway, "Chihiro?"

"Yes?" she answered.

"I know I already told you this," he softly spoke, "but I'm really glad to see you. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"Haku, I've—"

But before Chihiro could finish her sentence, he disappeared out of the room. She tried to dart out into the hall after him, but Haku was already gone. She had no idea which way he turned. She forgot just how fast Haku ran.

Chihiro sighed heavily to herself, _'that boy moves like the wind.'_

She dragged her feet across the floor as she moaned with exhaustion. What a tiring day it had been! She plopped down on the futon bed and didn't even bother slipping under the covers.

_'We'll be leaving sometime in the morning for Zeniba's,' _she dreamily thought while shifting to her side. _'And after meeting with her is when we'll finally embark on our journey to Masaru's fortress to save Rena. Defeating him won't be easy, but I have confidence in them.'_

Her eyelids got heavier and heavier by the second. She didn't even realize she was this tired. The excitement of seeing Haku again kept her awake and energize. But now, sleep was catching up to Chihiro.

_'Maybe I'm thinking too much about this whole Kita and Haku thing,' _She thought, drifting off to sleep. '_Or maybe I'm thinking too much into my own situation with Haku. But it doesn't really matter. Once we beat the mountain spirit and save Rena, I'll have to return to my own world again, won't I? I'll have to leave him—again. Haku…my heart can't….take that…"_

Her last thoughts for dozing off were of Naomi's parting words.

_If you decide to stay, tell me first…._


	8. A New Insight

I own nothing but my oc's

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><p>"Let me outta here!" cried Rena as she pounded on a large wooden door. "Someone help!"<p>

Her screams echoed off the walls and high ceiling of her confinement. Naturally, she received no answer. Things were eerily quiet as usual. Rena sunk down to her knees and began to cry. How long had it been since she'd seen the outside world? Masaru kept her locked up in an icy dungeon for days. He would occasionally come to bring her food—but that was all.

'_How long will I be like this?' _She thought as she buried her face in her hands. _'Why won't he just kill me?'_

She crawled over to the center of the dungeon and curled into a ball for warmth. It made sense for Masaru to live in a castle of ice. He was, after all, a snow mountain spirit. He was most comfortable in the icy cold. Rena, on the other hand, was completely miserable. Her only light/heat source was a small window stories above her head.

Suddenly, she heard loud footsteps parading down the hallway. Masaru was coming again! Had he heard the commotion? Rena quickly sat up and scooted as far away from the door as possible. She held her ears as the large door swung open. It always made such a deafening sound.

"Your meal," he spat, tossing a bowl of bread at her.

She ducked out of the way to avoid being hit. Rolls of bread went flying across the bare floor. Rena didn't even move to gather them up. Masaru stood over her and angrily folded his arms across his chest.

"Eat," he ordered.

She looked at him with pleading eyes, "will you let me go?"

"Eat!" His face became more and more distorted. But Rena had nowhere to run. She was already backed against the wall.

Rena took a deep breath, "No!"

Rage flashed through Masaru's eyes as he took a step closer.

"What did you say, girl?"

"I said…no," she muttered. "I don't want to. I'd rather starve then sit here like this!"

Before she knew it, she was being yanked up in the air by her long locks. Masaru held Rena dangerously close to his face. She could see her own terrified expression in his eyes.

"You don't get to decide your fate, I do," he barked. "And I currently haven't figured out what to do with you yet. But until then, you will remain in this dungeon. You will do as I say!"

"Please let me go!" she whimpered. "I've apologized to you over and over again. I really mean it! I'm sorry! It won't happen again."

"Of course it won't happen again," he shouted, shaking her a bit. "You won't be given the chance. You violated my sanctuary, and for that you must pay."

"My family's rich! If you let me go, I'll give you anything you want!" she screamed.

"First you lie about violating my sanctuary with filth, and next you try to bribe me?" he huffed with a nasty scowl. "I despise creatures like you!"

He dropped Rena to the floor and watched as she whined in sorrow. She was a shadow of her once teen queen self. Her disheveled hair neatly draped over her tear stained face. Masaru turned away from his pitiful prisoner and stalked towards the exit.

"Besides," he muttered. "What I want, you can't possibly give me."

"I…I can't live in this condition," Rena whispered, shivering on the cold floor. "If you won't let me go, then kill me already.….I just want to die. I don't….want to be here."

"Which do you want more, your freedom or your death?" he curiously asked her.

Rena blinked in confusion, "my freedom. But if I can't get that, then I'd rather die. I'm sick of being here."

"Eat the food I bring for you," he calmly demanded. "If you don't regularly eat something from our world, then you'll disappear forever. It's interesting that you just wished for death. I can assure you that disappearing is a fate much worse than death."

Rena's eyes widened with fear. Just what kind of fate would she meet if she disappeared? How could anything be worse than death? Fresh warm tears rolled down her puffy cheeks.

"Believe me," he somberly said. "I know."

Rena stopped whining and looked into Masaru's eyes. She'd never seen such a soft expression on his face before. For a split second, his eyes looked as if they were filled to the brim with sorrow. Rena almost felt her heart break just looking at him.

"Did that happen to someone you knew?" she asked.

Masaru's face suddenly hardened and reverted back to its typical scorned expression. There was never any trace of the saddened expression that Rena saw. It was completely smoothed over.

"We seem to have a guest," he stated. "I'll return in the afternoon—if you're still here."

"Masaru," she called. He stared at her in acknowledgement. It was the first time she'd identified him by his given name. "Before you leave, I just have to ask you one question. Why are you prolonging my death? Why haven't you killed me like your other spirited victims? I've heard the stories about the people vanishing around your mountain. What did you do to them?"

"That's more than one question," he simply replied, standing by the dungeon door.

Rena covered her head as he tossed something in her direction. She heard a soft thump right in front of her face. Slowly, Rena uncovered her head and opened her eyes. She was alone in the icy dungeon once more. Rena stared for a brief moment after realizing what Masaru had thrown. Right in front of her, was a large woolen blanket. She carefully unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around her body.

'_It's so warm and soft,' _she thought while snuggling. _'I've never felt anything so soft before.'_

She looked down at the scattered bread across the floor and thought about what Masaru told her.

'_I don't understand him,' _she thought, scooping up the bread. _'He won't let me go, yet he won't kill me either. But he says he's still figuring it out. Is there really that much to figure out? And will I really disappear if I don't eat? I guess it does make sense. He got pretty upset when I asked about it. That sad face he made, I haven't seen him so such emotion before. He's usually so angry and bitter. Masaru, I don't understand you at all._

….

'_That smell,' _thought Masaru, as he crept up the hallway.

He walked out into the main courtyard and sniffed the morning air. A foul aroma lingered in the wind as he blissfully walked through the courtyard.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head forward, "what are you doing here?"

"Don't sound so irritated, sonny," said a condescending voice from behind him. "It's a privilege for me to even be here right now."

Masaru glanced over his left shoulder and found Yubaba smirking back at him. Her large eyes held him in a vicious gaze as she casually puffed on a cigar.

"And what have I done to deserve such a privilege from the great Yubaba?" he questioned her.

"I'm not entirely sure," she said, stepping forward. "But I do now that the Guardians are on their way to see you."

"The Guardians? What do those insolent fools want?"

"I don't know. It could be the human girl in your custody," she told him.

"Figures, those buffoons would try to pry into my affairs," he snapped.

"So, why do you have another human girl in your custody?" she asked, prying her nose into his business.

"Knowing the reason for my actions won't benefit you in anyway," he firmly replied, thinking back to the Guardians. "Did they learn nothing from our previous encounters?"

"They believe they'll stand a chance now that they've recruited a 4th member," Yubaba explained, flicking ashes from her cigar on the ground.

"Yes, I've heard of this boy. Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, spirit of the Kohaku River," Masaru answered. "Or at least he was. I've heard of his power, but it's nothing I can't handle. He's just a young boy, after all. They're all nothing but a group of rowdy adolescents."

"Don't take him so lightly. Haku can be very difficult to deal with," she taunted.

"I take it you know him?"

A look of disgust spread across her face, "he used to be my apprentice. I had him practically eating out of the palm of my hand. But that all changed the day _she _showed up."

"I could care less about the tragedy that unfolded in your bathhouse, Yubaba," he said, dismissing her story. "Why did you come here tonight? I don't believe you came all this way simply to warn me. You have something to ask me, don't you?"

"The Great Mountain Spirit never was one for small talked," she jeered, puffing out a smoke ring. "Yes, I do have something to ask of you. In the past, you were very magnanimous towards the Guardians after battles. This time, however, I'd like for you to show a little less mercy. I'd like to see a bit more bloodshed. I'd like—"

"You want me to kill the Guardians," Masaru dryly cut in.

"More specifically, Haku and his human lover, Sen. Those two nearly destroyed my business 5 years ago! Luckily, I was able to recover. Of course you would be paid handsomely," she slyly said. "Business with the bathhouse has been booming lately. So money is not an issue. I just want them to suffer the consequences of what they did to me and my bathhouse."

He frowned, "You too will try to bribe me? There is nothing I require from you or anyone else."

Masaru turned away from her and continued his journey across the courtyard.

"Oh, come on," she called after him. "There must be something you want."

"There is," he answered. "But you cannot give it to me. No one can. However, I will consider destroying the Guardians. They're becoming a large throne in my side anyway."

"Excellent," said Yubaba with an evil grin. "That's all I ask for. Just give it some thought. You know I'd do it myself, but I'm a very busy woman."

"I don't need any explanations from you, witch," he said. "I'll take care of the pests. You just stay away from my estate."

"Done," she said with a snicker.

Yubaba morphed back into her bird form and took off into the twilight sky. When he was sure she'd gone, Masaru pulled out a locket hung around his neck. It had been carefully tucked away under his kimono. Masaru carefully opened the locket and examined the picture inside. A young woman with snow white hair and sky blue eyes gracefully smiled at him.

"Ayako…." He whispered.

…..

Rena cautiously munched on the bread as she huddled under her blanket. Just as she was about to lie down and take a nap, Masaru came bursting back into the room. She nearly jumped out of her skin. Was it the afternoon already?

"Get up," he ordered, hovering over her.

"Why? Where are you taking me?" she asked, stumbling to her feet. She delicately held the blanket in place around her body.

He latched onto her forearm and escorted her out of the dungeon. Rena peered into the dimly lit hallway. It seemed like ages ago since she was outside the dungeon. Masaru led her down the corridor and around several corners. She felt like they were walking forever. Just where were they going? Rena felt panic stricken but did her best to cover it up.

"I'm simply moving you to a different confinement," said Masaru, as if he were reading her thoughts. "So you can stop your worrying."

"Wh-why?" she worriedly asked.

"You prefer to stay in the freezing dungeon?" he questioned.

"No," she shyly responded. "I just thought…."

"You thought I was going to kill you?" he sighed with disappointment. "Your emotions are incredibly inconsistent. One moment you demand death, and next you cower in fear of it. What is it that you want, girl?"

She looked up at his chiseled face. "What do _you _want?"

Masaru suddenly stopped walking and simply froze in the middle of the hallway. His eyes darted down at the young girl beside him.

"Why have you asked me such a question?"

"Because of what you said earlier," she explained. "You said before that I couldn't give you what you wanted. But now I'm curious, what _do_ you want?"

"Why do you care?"

Rena calmly cleared her throat, "well…maybe we can help each other out. You give me what I want and I'll help you with what you want."

"I see," he said, continuing on. "You're just trying to bribe me again. As amazing as your persistence is, it won't be enough to save you. You care only for yourself."

Before Rena could reply, Masaru stopped walking again. This time, they were stopped at a dead end. Rena watched as Masaru placed his hand on the wall and slid it over.

"A hidden room?" she gasped, peering in through the newly created space in the wall.

The room was lavishly decorated with colorful vases and paintings throughout the room. In the center was an extra large futon bed with a long white canopy dangling from the ceiling.

"Hidden for good reason," said Masaru, ducking into the room. He pulled Rena in after him. "This room belongs to me."

Rena's eyes widened, "your room? Why did you bring me here?"

She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Was he trying to get her to sleep with him? Is that what he wanted? She nervously looked to the bed in the middle of the room. What had she gotten herself into? Masaru noticed her uneasy stares and shook his head in disgust.

"As if I'd ever bed a woman like yourself. That's your problem. You flatter yourself entirely too much." he snarled. His dark eyes flashed with anger. "Besides, have you looked at your appearance lately? You're a complete mess."

"Eh?" Rena was a little taken back by the bluntness of his statement. "Then why'd you bring me here?"

"There has been a change of plans," he answered. "You'll now be staying here. I'll reside in a different room."

"Change of plans? What's happening? Does this have anything to do with the visitor you were talking about?" she asked.

"I have matters to deal with," he ignored her, promptly walking out the room. "Don't get any ideas about escaping. There is a spell on this door. I doubt you have the power to break it."

"Masaru!" she called out.

"What is it now?" he asked, preparing to slide the door shut.

"I…I just wanted to say thanks," she told him.

"For what?" he asked with a serious tone.

"For the blanket,"

She pulled the blanket from her shoulders and draped it over her arm. It was warmer in Masaru's room so she didn't need to wear it.

He nodded once and slid the door shut.

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><p>lol yes I know you Hau x Chihiro haters probably aren't too happy with this chap but we had to see how our goof friend Rena was doing. Don'y worry, next chapter will be back to Chihiro and the others.<p> 


	9. Masaru's Past

**Still don't own Spirited Away...0.0**

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><p>It was early in the morning when the group decided to head out. The sun hadn't even risen yet. Chihiro was still a little groggy, but other than that she was fine.<p>

"Haku," she asked. "Do you visit Zeniba often?"

He firmly shook his head, "I try to stay away from things or people that remind me of my past."

"I'm excluded from that, right?" she laughed, nudging his shoulder.

He smiled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Of course you are. You're not my past, Chihiro. As of right now, you're the present. And the present is all I care about at the moment."

Chihiro tried to ignore the butterflies partying in her stomach. But there was nothing she could do about the flushing in her cheeks. How often was this going to happen?

"Shouldn't we get going?" Kita questioned in an irritated tone. "We have a long day ahead of us and goofing off isn't going to help anyone."

"Stop being such a kill joy," Akira snapped.

"No, she's right," agreed Haku.

"Hey, Chihiro! Ride with me!" shouted Akira excitedly.

"She's coming with me," Haku flatly answered.

"Saw that coming," whispered Riku.

"What is everyone waiting for?" Kita demanded. "Transform already."

Chihiro was suddenly blinded by a flash of bright light manifesting from Kita. Before her very eyes, Kita morphed into a large fiery bird. Kita's spread her enormous wings and fixed her gaze on Chihiro.

"Kita, you're a hou-ou? " said and awe stricken Chihiro.

Kita scratched at the ground with her foot and let out a deafening screech. Chihiro jumped with fright.

"I'm not even going to tell you what she said," Riku commented.

"You can understand her?"

He nodded, "Yes, I'm the only one that can understand them in their spirit forms. I'm also the only one that can talk in spirit form."

"He's also the only one with a third form," Akira added. "He can change into a much larger kitsune if he wanted to, but he likes this miniature version better."

"That's because it's more comfortable!" huffed Riku.

Akira nudged Chihiro, "I think he likes it cause it's a chick magnet."

"Well, he is positively adorable," Chihiro beamed. "He reminds me of a plushie I won at a carnival once. So cute!"

"Stop saying such lies, Akira!" Riku fumed. "This form is not a scheme to pick up girls! It's just more comfortable!"

Chihiro couldn't help but laugh at Riku's adorable tantrum.

"Alright, enough with the idle chit-chat," said Haku, calmly walking away from the group. "Akira and Riku, you will ride with Kita. Chihiro is coming with me. It's decided."

"Why does Haku get the cute girl all to himself," Akira pouted. "Life is so unfair!"

"Don't you already have a woman?" Riku sarcastically asked, jumping into Akira's arms.

"Yes, but it's still nice to have cute girls around. They make the day so much brighter," replied Riku.

Kita scoffed as she scratched the ground with her foot.

"She says, 'what about me?'" Riku translated.

"Oh, you don't count," Akira said, climbing onto Kita's back. Riku was neatly tucked underneath his arm. "I don't see you in that way."

"Ah, because it's not good to have those types of feelings in our work environment, right?" asked Riku.

"No, because Kita's not a cute girl," said Akira in the sweetest tone.

Kita let out a loud screech and frantically twirled her enormous body. Akira held on for dear life as she hovered in the air and tried to shake him to the ground. Chihiro stood closer to Haku as she watched the speculation.

"Kita stop! I was just kidding!" shouted, Akira. "Why can't you ever take a joke? You're cute! You're the cutest girl ever!"

"It's true! You are!" he yelped, clinging on.

"Haku, isn't Kita the cutest girl ever?" Akira desperately asked. He pitifully nodded his head in hopes that Haku would agree.

Hearing such a thing from Haku would easily calm Kita down. Chihiro curiously looked to Haku. Would he say it? Would he tell Kita what she wanted to hear? Haku's calm demeanor didn't change as he took in the ridiculous scene—not surprising. After a moment of stillness, he finally paced forward.

"Kita," he called out. She glanced down in his direction, still hovering above the ground. Chihiro could've sworn she heard Kita's enormous heart beating. "We have a job to do and you're wasting energy."

She immediately stopped moving and landed back to the ground. Akira and Riku sighed with relief. Her reign of terror was finally over—for now. Chihiro peered up at Kita's large golden eyes. They looked sad and lifeless. Was she that upset that Haku wouldn't say what she wanted him to?

"Akira, you know the way to Swamp Bottom, correct?"

He nodded enthusiastically, "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!"

He looked around to see if anyone else caught on to his witty joke. But he was met with blank stares of confusion. Was it too early in the morning to have a sense of humor or something?

"Yeah, I know the way to Swamp Bottom," he sighed with boredom.

"Good. Instruct Kita with directions," Haku told them. "We'll catch up with you."

"Aye Aye, Captain!" shouted Akira as he sloppily saluted Haku.

Kita quietly took off into the sky and flew into the morning horizon. Chihiro watched the majestic beauty until she was completely out of sight.

"My Grandfather was a Chief Petty Officer in the navy during WWII," said Chihiro, giggling slightly. "I think he'd cry if he ever saw how horrible that salute was."

"Please excuse them," said Haku politely. "They can bit overwhelming at times, but they're all very good people."

"Oh, don't worry about that. My friends fight too," she told him. "And I'm usually stuck in the middle. Though, I don't have any authority over them."

"Authority? You are mistaken, Chihiro. I hold no authority over the Guardians. I am, after all, their newest member." he said.

"Then why do they listen to you?" She inquired.

"It's because I'm a dragon spirit," he explained. "Dragons are held in high favor among the animal spirits."

"Oh, I see then,"

"But I may have subconsciously stepped in as the temporary leader of this case," he confessed.

She blinked in confusion, "because of me?"

"Precisely," he nodded with a slight smile. "Chihiro, I will make it my sworn duty to aid you. Just as I did years ago, I will protect and care for you while you're here. Nothing has changed."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing," he said, clamping onto her wrist.

He suddenly pulled Chihiro along with him as he darted through the forest. Trees became nothing more than green blurs as the pair zoomed to avoid them. Chihiro felt like she was being sucked into a vacuum cleaner!

"Haku!" she yelled. "Eck! What are you doing?"

Chihiro freaked as she felt the ground disappear from under her feet. The swirling colors around them gradually disappeared and she felt herself sinking down through the air. Chihiro looked up and realized Haku ran them straight off a cliff! They were free falling back towards the Earth. Haku effortlessly maneuvered Chihiro's body directly over his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, fighting against the wind as they flew down towards the ground.

"Hold on to me," he instructed.

Haku curved his direction upward and soared back towards the sky. His body began vibrantly glowing. Chihiro could feel his body warming underneath her own as he channeled the power of his dragon energy. She maintained her balance as his human form morphed into its true dragon appearance. Her body shifted back a little as his body elongated and his shoulder's disappeared. Sea foam green fur traced all the way down his newly scaled body. Chihiro grabbed on to Haku's sharp horns, as they sprouted from his head, and anchored her legs around his slender body.

"Some things are definitely the same," she said, nuzzling on his fur. "But not everything, Haku. Not everything."

She watched the world below as they flew on towards Zeniba's. She never really paid attention to the beautiful sights of the Spirit World during her last visit. She had been too worried about saving her parents and Haku. Chihiro was having a much easier time enjoying things this time around—at least for the moment. But she still needed to remember that this was strictly a "business" trip. She wasn't there to have fun. She was on a rescue mission; one that would eventually come to an end.

"Huh?" Chihiro caught sight of something directly ahead of them. "There's no way caught up to them that fast."

Haku let out a low growl as if her were responded to what she said. It was, in fact, the rest of the group. Chihiro knew Haku was fast, but he shouldn't have been able to catch up to the group so quickly. Was Kita really that slow? Haku flew a bit faster and caught up to the others.

Akira took one look at Haku and instantly started complaining. "See! I told you Haku's scent was growing stronger. Look, they caught up! Why are you going so slowly today?"

Kita angrily screeched as she flapped on.

"What'd she say?" Akira asked Riku.

"Eh, something about you easily dying from this altitude," he said, scratching his ear.

Akira sighed, "I wish she'd get out of this evil mood."

_'So she flew slowly on purpose? I wonder if it was because Haku and I were alone together,' _thought Chihiro.

"I'd really like to get to the witch's house in one piece," Riku announced.

Nearly 40 minutes had passed when they finally reached Swamp Bottom. Chihiro excitedly looked down an old familiar cottage in the middle of the forest. They finally made it to Zeniba's house.

"I can't wait to see Granny!" she exclaimed. "I wonder what she and Noh Face have been up to all this time."

"Granny?" Riku wondered out loud, looking to Akira for clarification.

Akira simply shrugged his broad shoulders, "take us down, Kita!"

Kita began to descend into to the fields next to Zeniba's house. Haku followed after her and landed just a few yards away. Chihiro climbed down and watched as he transformed back into his humanlike appearance. The pair joined up with the rest of the group, who were waiting by the front door. Kita impatiently stomped her foot when they finally arrived.

"Well it took you too long enough," she complained. "Now let's hurry and be done with this. Witches give me the creeps."

"It could be crawling with witches," said a paranoid Akira. "Thousands of them!

"Yes, witches give off the most unpleasant auras," said Riku, clinging to Kita's shoulder.

"I won't even begin to complain about the hypocrisy of your statements," said Haku calmly, walking to the door. "You bathhouse fanatics."

"Riku, don't forget to transform," Chihiro reminded him.

"Oh, that's right! Thank-you, Miss!" he leapt into the air and swiftly changed into his human form. "She might be a witch, but I still need to be polite."

Haku shook his head as he lightly knocked on Zeniba's door. To his surprise, the door slowly creaked open. A familiar voice urged the group to come inside.

"Come in, all of you," Zeniba called out. "I knew you'd show up sooner or later."

Haku was the first to venture inside the witches house. Chihiro diligently followed after and urged the others to come as well. Akira, Kita, and Riku were more than hesitant to follow after the pair.

"I read a story like this once," Akira whispered. "A group of youngsters go into a witch's house and don't come out! It's madness I tell you! I'm not going in there."

Suddenly, the three of them were pulled inside of the house by a gripping wind. All three of them slammed against the nearest wall and almost knocked down a shelf. Akira shrieked as the door shut behind them.

" Look what the wind blew in," Haku coolly commented.

"Haku, what the hell?" Akira yelped, rubbing his head.

"Well, you seem to make quite the entrance," said Zeniba, seated carefully in a rocking chair. She was sipping a fresh cup of tea as she playfully laughed at the group. "Chihiro, nice to see you've returned."

Chihiro raced over toward the old witch and lovingly embraced her.

" Granny!" she greeted. "I've missed you so much."

"I trust you've been well, Deary? You've grown over the years, but I suppose that's natural." said Zeniba as she patted Chihiro's head. "Kohaku, you've also grown."

Haku nodded as he silently gazed at her.

"And are these the famous Guardians I've heard so much about?" she asked, straightening up in her chair. "You sure don't look like much."

"Don't look like much? Lady, we have singlehandedly defeat disastrous foes all across the Spirit World!" Akira proclaimed.

"That's right!" squeaked Kita. "We are not to be taken lightly!"

"Yes, what they said!" Riku agreed.

"Team Guardian!" they shouted in unison, while striking ridiculous poses.

Haku credulously watched the eccentric bunch, "Anyways, we've come for guidance for one of our latest cases."

"I know exactly why you're here," she responded. "You want my help on defeating the Mountain Spirit Masaru, am I right?"

"How do you know that?" asked Chihiro.

"I heard it through the grape vine," she laughed.

"So, you'll help us then?" asked Akira.

"How much do you know about the Mountain Spirit?" asked Zeniba.

"We don't have much information on him," Haku responded.

"Then allow me to tell you his story," she said.

"How is a story going to help us beat him?" Kita demanded.

Zeniba frowned, "do you want my help or not?"

All of them silently nodded. Zeniba smiled and motioned for them to take a seat at her dining room table.

"Then listen up," she responded.

Once all of them were seated, Noh-face floated into the room and served them all some hot tea.

"Hi, Noh-face," said Chihiro with a smile. "Glad to see you've been staying out of trouble."

"Uh….Uh," he moaned as he handed her a cup.

"Now then, Masaru's tale," said Zeniba, "Many moons ago, the Spirit World was in turmoil. There were constant uprisings all over the land and no one could figure out why. But all of that changed when the Dragon Spirit, Masaru, took a stand."

"He was on our side?" asked Kita.

Zeniba nodded, "yes, he was. Much like all of you, he took it upon himself to rid the Spirit World of this new evil. He fought day and night to keep us all safe. He discovered that the uprisings were caused by an evil spirit named, Tatsuo."

"I've heard of him," said Haku with a single head nod. "He was a rouge dragon spirit that dabbled in dark magic."

"Indeed he was," continued Zeniba. "Tatsuo had the power to mind control many people at once. He was using his power to spread chaos and weaken the forces of our realm. His plan was to have complete control over the Spirit World. He was an immensely powerful spirit. Even some of our most powerful spirits couldn't stop him. Masaru was the only one who stood a chance."

"But no matter what Tatsuo did, Masaru couldn't bring himself to kill him. He was just too pure of heart to kill anyone. Tatsuo saw this as a weakness and planned his next move. He used his minions and created another uprising to distract Masaru. As soon as Masaru was away, Tatsuo snuck into his home and killed wife, Ayako. Tatsuo was hoping to damper Masaru's spirit and destroy him emotionally. He never expected what came next. Upon returning home, Masaru immediately discovered her body and angrily went on a disastrous rampage. The people, who loved and looked up to him, soon began to cower in fear of him."

"That's terrible," said Riku sadly.

"Masaru literally led a reign of terror all the way to Tatsuo's door. It was then that they had their last battle. No longer would Masaru hold back when battling Tatsuo. This time, he was going for the kill. Just as Masaru was about finish him off, Tatsuo created a portal and leaped inside. He was never seen nor heard from since that day,"

"So he flung himself into another world like a coward. Unbelievable," Chihiro spat. "Granny, where do you think he went?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, Dear. There are many worlds out there. He could be anywhere. He could even be dead by now."

"I doubt it," Haku muttered under his breath.

"Since then, Masaru has grown cold and hostile. Although Tatsuo's violent uprisings stopped, there were still other dangers here. He refused to aid anyone," Zeniba continued. "He barely even leaves his castle."

"But I saw him in my world," said Chihiro.

"Only extremely powerful spirits can manifest in the human world in a solid specter form," she explained. "This is how he's able to abduct humans as well. It's not something just any of us can do."

"We're gonna have to work fast if we're going to save your friend," said Riku, turning to Chihiro.

Zeniba shrugged with a smile, "maybe, maybe not."

…..

Naomi silently stared through Chihiro's bed room window. Hers eyes quickly darted over every single possession in the room. All of Chihiro's belongings were exactly the way she left them. She even spotted Chihiro's cell phone placed neatly on her pillow. It was like Chihiro was just there.

_'They have to remember,' _she thought, clinging to the window seal. _'All of her things are still here. They can't possibly have any explanation for this, right?'_

She pressed her nose against the class and continued to survey the lonely room. Naomi was hoping that one of Chihiro's parents would stumble into the room. Would they remember their daughter? Were they suffering from the strange amnesia spell like everyone else?

"Eh?" Naomi gasped when her phone suddenly vibrated against her hip. She instantly pulled it out of her pocket and answered. "Hello?"

"Why are you scaling the side of the neighbor's house like an estranged weirdo?" asked Shin in a dry voice.

"Because, I'm trying to confirm some things," she proclaimed, trying to regain her footing on the paneling.

"You've definitely confirmed some things for me already," he responded.

"Oh, be quiet," he shot back. "Why are you spying on me anyway?"

"I just happened to be glancing out my bedroom window when I saw you. You're just lucky no one else is home right now," he said.

"Hey, where are you anyway?" she asked him. "You sound close."

"That's because I'm right below you,"

"Eh?" she looked down and found brother waving to her.

"By the way," he said with a frown, "I see London, I see France. Unfortunately, I can see your underpants."

Naomi turned a deep shade of red and tried to readjust herself.

"Stop looking!"

Shin blocked his view of her, "stop showing! You'll scare Chihiro's parents. "

Naomi instantly tapped the end call button and scurried back to the ground.

"I can't believe you hung up on me," Shin joked.

"Did you just say something about Chihiro?" Naomi excitedly asked.

Shin wearily looked at her, "Um, yes? I'm guessing she's still away on her "epic" adventure?"

"I can't believe it! You remember her!" she happily exclaimed. "I was beginning to think that Reiji and I were the only ones who remembered."

"The only ones that remember what?" he asked.

"No one can remember Chihiro or Rena," she carefully explained. "Everyone I talked to today denies knowing them. It's like they never existed. I was checking to see if Chihiro's room was still in place—and it was! So I was thinking, maybe her parents still remember them."

"Are you sure no one else remembers them?"

Naomi nodded, "I've asked everyone. I even called Mom and Dad at work! But Chihiro's parents have to remember. How else are they going to explain Chihiro's room?"

Shin furrowed his brow, "what about Rena's family? Did you ask them?"

Naomi folded her arms as she stiffened her jaw, "Eww, no!"

She instantly peered over Shin's shoulder and tackled him some nearby shrubs. She accidently elbowed his head on the way down.

"Oww! Naomi!" he angrily yelped. "Why did you—"

"Quiet!" she shushed. "It's Chihiro's parents! They're pulling up in the driveway! We can't let them now we were spying on their house!"

"We? There is no we! _You _were the one spying!" he proclaimed, pulling a small twig out of his hair. "I don't have anything to do with this!"

"Says the boy hiding in the shrubs!" she snapped. "And as my big brother, you're automatically responsible for the crazy shenanigans I get into."

Shin started to speak, but realize he didn't have any words to say. He stood up from the shrubs and delicately brushed off his clothing. Naomi's attempts to pull him back down were unsuccessful.

"What are you doing they'll see us!" she whispered.

"Just stay put," he told her, while walking away. "I'll be right back."

Naomi watched as Shin disappeared to the front of Chihiro's house. She could hear him talking with someone, but couldn't make out any words. Though her legs started hurting from being in the crouching position for so long, she didn't move from her spot. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Shin reappeared.

"Come on, you giddy school girl," he said. "We're going home."

Naomi's head popped out of the bushes, "Shin, what happened? Were you talking to Chihiro's parents?"

She stepped out of the shrubs and followed after her brother.

"Yes," he replied. "And you're story has been somewhat confirmed. But Chihiro's parents do remember in a way."

"What do you mean by that? What exactly did you say to them?" she demanded to know. "Tell me you didn't ask them about the stuff in Chihiro's room?"

He rolled his eyes, "I asked them how their daughter was doing."

"And?"

"They say their daughter is attending a private school in Hiroshima," he explained. "Apparently, she comes home every once and awhile, but doesn't really associate with anyone in the neighborhood. The last time she visited was spring break."

"Her parents think Chihiro's at some fancy school in the city?" she asked. "I guess that would explain her possessions in her room. They probably don't even go in there. If they did, they might find tons of her photos. They definitely won't be able to explain those."

"Naomi, what's going on?" Shin asked, once they got to the front of their house. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know," she told him. "I wish I knew why everyone's memories of her have been altered."

"Well it's obvious that something supernatural is at work," he explained. "Have you seen anything strange at all today? Anything from the Spirit World or anything?"

She shook her head, "nothing. Everything seemed pretty normal."

"And Reiji?"

"I haven't talked to him since school let out," she said with a shrug. "He volunteered to stay afterschool to help our teacher take down the classroom. But he's really doing it to do some snooping. I think I'll call him to now."

Naomi whipped out her phone and selected Reiji's name from her contact list. Shin nodded and he opened the door and stepped inside. Naomi followed after him as she waited for Reiji to answer his phone. Shin suddenly stopped, causing Naomi to ram into his back.

"What?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"Do you hear that?" he quietly asked.

Naomi removed the phone from her ear and focused on the sound coming from the living room. It was the sound of a ringing phone! She glanced at her phone and then to Shin.

"Oh, real mature, Reiji!" she hollered, storming toward the living room. "Next time you try to scare me in my own home, you might want to turn off your…."

Shin and Naomi stared in horror at the terrible sight waiting for them in the living room. Reiji, bound and gagged, was lying unconscious in the middle of the floor. He was covered in bruises. Naomi dropped her phone and rushed to his side.

"Oh my God!" she hollered. "Reiji? Wh-what's he doing here? I…what happened!"

Naomi could barely speak coherent sentences. Shin, who was also by his side, examined the fresh bruises along his face. Someone had given Reiji quite the beaten. Naomi quickly removed the gauge from his mouth and went to work on his other bounds.

"I'm calling the police," announced Shin, reaching for his phone.

"N-no," whispered Reiji. His eyes began fluttering a little bit.

"Reiji, you're awake? What happened? Whoever did this to you is going to pay!" Naomi declared.

"You guys have to get out of here," said a weak Reiji. "Leave now."

"Idiot, I'm not leaving you here alone," she snapped. "See what happens when we're not together?"

"Reiji, why don't you want me to call the police," asked Shin, suspiciously.

"Because, they are the ones who did this to me," he replied.

Naomi felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. She could tell by Shin's expression that they were thinking the same thing.

"Ah, Ms. Ikeda," said an all too familiar voice from behind them. "It's good to see you're available today. I'd really like to talk to you."

Katsu mechanically stared at Naomi as he lingered in the archway of the living room. Two men accompanied him as he slowly advanced into the room.

"And this time, there won't be any distractions,"


	10. The Greater Threat

**I own nothing but my o.c's and what not...I know it's redundant to say this, but it just feels wrong starting a new chap without that statement. lol**

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><p>"That's a nice story and all, but how is it gonna help us stop the bad guy?" asked Akira.<p>

"Patience," order Zeniba.

"Patience? Masaru kidnapped one Chihiro's friends from the human world. If we don't save her soon, she'll die! There's no way we can patient at a time like this!"

She frowned, "I know the full details of the situation. You don't need to tell me. And it pays to know your enemy."

"But we don't want to know our enemy," Akira replied with irritation. "We just want to beat him senseless and save the girl!"

"I think you'd benefit from good beating also," said Zeniba with a sinister smile.

Akira moved away from the old witch. He was beginning to fear her all over again!

"Uh, Akira?" Riku whispered. "It's probably not a good idea to anger the nice witch."

"Kohaku, are your friends always this abrasive?" Zeniba asked.

"Do you know of a way to infiltrate his fortress without being seen?" asked Kohaku, changing the subject.

"We already tried that before when we fought him," said Kita. "Masaru keeps a barrier around his land. We can pass through it, but once we do we're at his mercy. The barrier is like an extension of his consciousness, so he can sense our presence easily. It'll be impossible to take him by surprise."

"None of that matters anyway. He's already been informed that you're coming for him," Zeniba informed.

"What?" gasped Akira and Riku in unison.

"And I'm willing to bet it was your sister who told him," said Haku.

"You are correct," nodded Zeniba.

"Well that would've been some useful information to tell us earlier," huffed Akira.

"She's known all along of Chihiro's return and is most likely using Masaru for revenge against us," Haku continued.

"Great, so we have two foes to worry about?" sighed Riku.

"No thanks to the human," spat Kita as she eyed Chihiro from across the table.

Chihiro shyly avoided Kita's icy gaze as best as she could. She could practically feel Kita's eyes burning a hole in the side of her face.

"I wouldn't be so worried about my sister if I were you," Zeniba assured them. "She's not the type to get her hands dirty. She may just lurk around in the shadows completely unseen."

"If Masaru is expecting us, we shouldn't keep him waiting," said Haku.

"He's right," Kita agreed. "He's had plenty of time to prepare since someone caused us to lose the element of surprise."

Chihiro sighed as all of them got up from the table and headed towards the foyer. But Chihiro couldn't compel herself to move. It was as if she were frozen at the dining room table, forced to look at her somber reflection in her tea cup.

_'As if Kita needed another reason to hate me,' _she thought. _'How can she pin this whole thing on me? It isn't my fault that Yubaba has a vendetta against me or Haku. But, maybe I could've been more careful when I first arrived…."_

She felt a presence behind her and realized that Noh Face was standing over her. She calmly smiled at her old friend. At least he was behaving himself in the midst of all the chaos. Zeniba was also beside her.

"Your friends are waiting in the next room," said Zeniba with a warm smile.

"I guess I should join them," said Chihiro.

Zeniba gently took Chihiro's arm and examined the band on her wrist, "I'm glad you still have this band I made for you."

"I'm glad too, Granny. It saved me and my friends. Without it, I'm sure we would've been taken away by Masaru as well," said Chihiro. "Haku told me there was a spell on the band."

Zeniba nodded, "I did place a dormant spell on it."

"What type?" Chihiro inquired. "I'd love to be able to use it again."

"I can't tell you," replied the elderly witch. "Part of the fun is figuring it out on your own."

Chihiro frowned, "but it'd be so much easier if you just told me."

"Life was never meant to be easy, dear. You wouldn't even be here right now if that were the case," Zeniba placed her hand on Chihiro's shoulder. "I know you'll figure it out. You're a very smart girl."

"It would be nice to share that confidence," said Chihiro, watching her friends from the other room. Kita and Akira were in some type of heated argument, while Haku and Riku nonchalantly watched from the sidelines.

"You don't think you fit in with them?" Zeniba asked, following Chihiro's gaze.

"I know for a fact I don't," Chihiro laughed. "I'm just hoping like hell I don't get in their way while saving Rena."

"You don't like her do you?"

Chihiro faced turned a slight shade of pink, "is it that obvious?"

"You wear your heart on your sleeve, My Dear," Zeniba warmly responded. "I greatly commend you for your efforts. This must be very difficult for you."

"I don't think I deserve to be praised right now. You'd take back what you said if you could hear my thoughts, Granny," Chihiro whispered. "Rena wasn't exactly my favorite person. She's been making my life miserable since the 5th grade. A very small part of me is glad she's been kidnapped."

Chihiro sadly looked into Zeniba's eyes as if she were trying to listen to be punished.

"Am I a horrible person for that? Is it wrong for me to feel slightly relieved by her absence?"

"I doubt you'd come on this journey if you were such a horrible person, Chihiro," Zeniba assured. "But there is one quality about you that I do think is horrible."

"What is that?" asked Chihiro, perking up her shoulders.

"It's that you don't stand up for yourself," She expressed. "I remember you quite well. You went through many trials and tribulations to free your parents from my sister's clutches. You bravely traveled all the way here to return the seal for Haku. You wished to protect your friends from Masaru and unknowingly activated the hairband's spell. You travelled into the Spirit World to save the life of someone you don't even like. And if that little pink haired girl were in danger, I bet you'd try to save her as well."

"Well, yeah I did all those things but…"

"The point being," the old witch continued, "that Chihiro boldly stand up for others, but not for her own self. You sell yourself out and quietly revert into your shell."

"Quietly," she whispered.

Chihiro stayed remained as she let Zeniba's words sink into her. Chihiro couldn't help but think back to one of her last conversations with Rena.

"_I hate that you're always so quiet all the time. I hate the way you pretend that nothing ever bothers you when I know that's not true!"_

In a way, Rena was complaining about the something as Zeniba. Was that what this was all about? Before Chihiro could say anything else, Haku appeared in the doorway.

"We really need to leave now," he urged.

"Of course he does," Zeniba nodded with a grin. "You'd better get going."

"Hold on, Granny. I—"

But Zeniba gently pulled Chihiro up from the table and pushed her towards the doorway. The poor girl almost tumbled foreword. Luckily for her Haku was there to catch her.

"That's enough for now," said Zeniba with a wink. "But, remember what we talked about. I expect that problem to be fixed. Oh, and if you ever find yourself lost, don't forget you have your own personal guide."

"My own personal guide? What do you mean by that?" she asked, as Haku began leading her away.

"You'll see!" called out Zeniba. "And if you see that, good for nothing, sister of mine tell her she owes me $50 bucks!"

…..

Katsu nonchalantly examined his fingernails as he leaned on the door frame. Shin and Naomi, who were kneeling next to Reiji's injured body, warily watched him.

"What did you do to him!" shouted Naomi, racing towards Katsu.

"Naomi! Watch out!" Shin warned.

But before she could make a move, two men advanced into the room. After much scuffling, they finally managed to subdue both Shin and Naomi. Naomi fought hard to break away, but he had his arms wrapped around her tightly.

"Who the hell are these guys? I thought you worked alone." She shouted, still trying to break free.

"You thought wrong," said Katsu with an evil smile.

"I had a feeling you were a dirty cop, but I never thought you'd stoop this low!"

"These lack of thoughts will get you killed, Ms. Ikeda," he calmly responded. "You should try to remember that."

"What do you want from us?" Shin hissed.

"Answers," Katsu simply explained.

"Answers?"

"What are you talking about now?" Naomi whispered.

Katsu paced closer and lowered himself to Naomi's eyes level. Naomi stopped struggling for a second and stared into his cold brown eyes. Just what was he about to do now?

"Don't play dumb with me, little girl," he spat. "You know exactly what this is about."

"I don't know what answers you're talking about," she snapped. "But I do know that you had no right to harm Reiji like that!"

"Then I'll refresh your memory a bit," he said with a slight head nod. "Where is Chihiro Ogino?"

Naomi's heart began beating a mile a minute. Katsu remembered Chihiro? But how was that possible? She, Reiji, and Shin were the only ones that remembered Chihiro.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Taunted Katsu.

"I-I don't know anyone named Chihiro," she stammered.

He frowned, "it's a shame when a girl denies knowing her best friend."

"She said she doesn't know her. Now leave," Shin calmly ordered. "You have absolutely no right to do any of this."

Katsu stepped away from Naomi and walked back towards the door frame. Shin and Naomi watched as he knelt down and picked something up. For awhile, he stood with his back to them. Naomi tried to break free again but soon gave up. It was probably best not waste anymore energy.

Naomi looked up to get a better look at her captor in case she needed to identify him later. There was nothing remotely distinct about his features—save for his eyes. They seemed like typical brown eyes at first, but upon closer look they were strangely different. They were empty and lifeless. Naomi looked over at Shin's restrainer and discovered the same lifeless eyes. Just what was going on?

Katsu diverted his attention back to Naomi, "nice phone you have here."

"Stop it! Give me back my cell phone!" she demanded.

"I believe the term is finders keepers," he said, messing with the phone.

"Psh, you can't get into it anyway! I have a lock on it and—"

She stopped as Katsu held the screen mere inches from her face. Not only had he broken into her phone, but he also opened up her list of most recent calls. One of the names was in fact, Chihiro's.

"You do know her. But since you don't remember, I'll give you another refresher," he jeered. "5 years ago, Chihiro wrote a story about a girl who, along with her parents, ended up trapped in the Spirit World. After a long journey, the young girl was able to save both her parents and herself."

Shin and Naomi warily looked at each other as they remembered what Katsu wanted the other night. Naomi had been so focused on the Chihiro situation, that she forgot the reason Katsu wanted to talk to her. He wanted information on the Spirit World!

"That story sounds like a load of bullshit," she scoffed.

"Really? I was under the impression that you loved this story," he sneered. "And that you couldn't get enough of it."

"Shut-up!" she barked.

"But this story isn't over. There's recently been a sequel." he suddenly told her.

"What are you—"

"In this story, a fellow classmate is kidnapped by a vengeful being and taken to the Spirit World. Our heroine, being the selfless girl that she is, boldly re-enters the Spirit World once more in order to save her. But before she left, she told her best friend all of her plans. She even led her to the gateway of the other world,"

Katsu dropped Naomi's phone and delicately cupped Naomi's face. She was forced to stare into his devious eyes once again.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? Get off my sister!" Shin demanded.

"Now, she's disappeared into the next world to defeat that vengeful spirit," Katsu continued. "But unbeknownst to our beloved heroine, she's left her precious friends at the mercy of an even greater threat."

"Cute story," said Naomi with a smirk. "But it still reeks of bullshit."

"You haven't even heard the best part yet?" said Katsu, releasing Naomi's face.

"Oh, there's more?" she sarcastically asked.

"After the young heroine disappeared, strange things started happening in her hometown," he continued. "No one, other than her small group of friends, seemed to remember knowing her. It was as if someone had altered their memories."

Naomi glared at Katsu, "are you saying you did this? You're the one responsible for everything?"

"In order for you to have power over another mentally," Shin began, "you'd have to be superhuman."

"Superhuman? Interesting hypothesis," interjected Katsu.

"No, he's not superhuman," said Naomi suddenly. "He's a spirit. That's why he was so pressed on talking to me about the Spirit World."

"You are correct, Ms. Ikeda. Allow me to properly introduce myself," he said with a bow. "I am Tatsuo, the most powerful being in the Spirit World. And unless you want to end up in a shallow unmarked grave, you'd better tell me where Spirit World gate lies."

…

"So that's it then? We're leaving with nothing but a stupid story and information we already knew?" Akira pondered as he and the rest of the Guardians wandered away from Zeniba's house. "Nothing about this situation is right!"

"Yes, I was hoping she'd tell us of a way to defeat him," Riku jumped in. "Instead, we got a history lesson."

"Ugh, we wasted vital time!" Kita complained. "We were better off heading straight to his fortress."

Haku and Chihiro were walking paces behind everyone else. Chihiro noticed that Haku was quieter than usual as he silently walked beside her. It was as if he were caught in a trance.

"Haku?" she called. "What's the matter? You seem upset about something."

"It's nothing," he uttered without even turning to face her.

"Don't tell me that," she said with a frown. "I know something's bothering you. It's good to talk about these things and—"

"Chihiro, you shouldn't have come here," he snapped, effectively cutting her off.

She stopped dead in her tracks as she processed what he just said to her.

"But you said you were glad I came," she said. Her voice was on the verge of breaking.

Haku had also stopped walking, but he kept his back to her. The other guardians curiously watched the scene unfold from afar.

"I know what I said," Haku breathed. "And I'm taking it back. You never should've come here. If we didn't have a mission to complete, I'd take return you myself. But for the time being, you'll have to stay with us."

Chihiro blinked away her tears, "if that's the way you feel I'll just stay at Zeniba's house while you go fight Masaru."

Haku rapidly turned to face her. His usual stoic expression disappeared right before her very eyes. His piercing green eyes were full of anger and rage, yet his facial features remained smooth and calm. If Chihiro weren't so upset with him, she would've commented on the cuteness his "angry" face.

"I said you're staying with us," he retorted. "Once we defeat Masaru and rescue your classmate, we'll send both of you on your way—for good."

With that, he turned away and continued walking along the pathway. Chihiro knew she couldn't stand in that spot forever, but she couldn't exactly move either. She didn't know what do to.

_'He doesn't want me here,' _she thought. _'He made that perfectly clear. Then was everything he said to me just a lie? Is this my punishment for having those awful thoughts about Rena? Once this is over, I'll leave and never look back,' _

"Haku, why did you say those things?" asked Riku, once Haku stormed passed the group.

"It's better this way," he muttered.

"But you left her back there all alone," Akira commented, looking back at Chihiro.

Haku continued on, "she'll catch up. Now, let's go."

Kita happily followed after him, "you heard him. We're leaving now."

Akira and Riku watched them for a bit before going back for Chihiro. She was still frozen in place. Riku transformed into his kistune form and nuzzled against her leg. Akira gingerly placed his arm on her shoulder.

"Come on kid, you have to keep going," he said warmly.

Chihiro, with all her might, finally pressed forward. Akira was right. Staying still wasn't going to solve anything. She had to keep going. She had to march through the pain. They still had a job to do whether or not she was feeling sorry for herself.

'_Once this is over, I'll leave and never look back,' _she told herself. _'I'm cutting all ties.'_


	11. A Guiding West

**Hey all! lol back with the next chapter! I own nothing!**

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><p>Haku led the way down a barren pathway through the forest. Kita closely followed behind him, bouncing happily along the way. The girl was practically grinning from ear to ear. Riku, Chihiro, and Akira were a good 15 paces behind. Things had been pretty gloomy since Haku and Chihiro's following out.<p>

"So, guys," said Akira, attempting to lighten Chihiro's mood. "How bout this scenic route. Isn't it, you know, scenic-like?"

Naturally, he received no response from Chihiro. He sighed heavily and hung his head. That was his 20th attempt to get her to talk. No matter what he said to her, Chihiro continued to walk in total silence.

"This is killing me! You know I don't do well with awkward silences!" Whispered Akira, behind Chihiro's back."Why must I suffer this?"

"I doubt it would kill you to stay quiet for bit," Riku laughed.

"Well, things wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have to make this long journey on foot! It'll take forever to get to Masaru's castle!"

"Haku says we should save our magic for the battle," Riku reminded him.

"Oh, whatever! That guy's been acting weird lately!"

"I just wish I knew where we went wrong," said Chihiro sadly. "It doesn't matter. I'll be gone soon anyway."

Akira was dumbfounded, "that's what you break your hours of silence with? Couldn't you have said something happier?"

"He's just under a lot of pressure. I'm sure he'll come around," Riku assured.

"Kita's not making this whole thing any better," said Akira with a frown. "She hasn't left his side since the fight."

"She's always been like that, remember? The only reason she's been distant from him lately is because of…." Riku trailed off as he glanced in Chihiro's direction.

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Chihiro solemnly asked. "I'm the reason everything's out of sync."

"Riku, go fix this!" Akira whispered, still staying out of Chihiro's hearing range. "Talk to Haku, find out what's up with him, get him to patch up things with Chihiro, and make us one big happy family again!"

His eyes nearly popped out of his sockets, "Why does it have to be me?"

"Because you're the only choice," Akira began, "he doesn't want to talk to Chihiro for whatever reason. That obviously rules her out. Kita won't do it because, let's face it, the girl's tragically in love with Haku. She's had it in for Chihiro ever since they met and sees this as an opportunity. So, she'll be of zero help to us."

"Then what about you?"

"Dude, I can't. Things are really tense up there and I don't like tense environments. Were you not listening to my rant about awkward silences? Besides, you're better with words than I am. So you gotta make things right, Riku! You just gotta! Please kill the awkward silence!" Akira pleaded.

Riku heavily sighed as he hopped down from Akira's shoulder blade, "Will you please calm down? I'll go talk to him. But I'm not promising anything."

"Do it, Riku! Kill it with fire," he shouted after him.

He was so loud, that Kita stopped to face him. Riku climbed up to her shoulder.

"And just what was that about?" she called out to Akira.

He narrowed his eyes at her, "oh, like you don't know!"

She abruptly turned back around and continued walking with Haku.

"Haku?" Riku stammered.

"Yes, what is it?" Haku nonchalantly asked. He continued to stare straight ahead.

"We'd really like to get to the bottom of a few things,"

"Is that so?"

"Well, yes….you see," Riku couldn't quite get his words in order. He knew what he wanted to say, but just didn't know how to say it.

"Goodness, Riku. If you have something to say, than say it already," Kita snapped. "Otherwise, you should go back to keeping Akira and Chihiro company."

Riku ignored Kita, "Haku, what happened back there? Why are you being so cruel to Chihiro?"

Haku took his time answering Riku's question, "it's for her own good."

"Yes, you said that. But I don't understand how breaking her heart was for her own good," Riku scolded. "Things were going so well between the two of you."

"I don't want to give her a reason to stay here," Haku responded.

"What do you mean?"

"Being a guardian of this world is a risky job," Haku replied. "We deal with a lot of dangerous spirits. I just want to keep her safe."

"This is about her safety?" asked Riku with bewilderment.

Kita turned away from Haku and stared off into the difference. She tried to suppress the emotions quelling deep within her core.

"You heard what Zeniba said about Masaru's wife. She was killed by an enemy of his while he was away from her," said Haku softly. "I can't let that happen to her. Chihiro means too much to me."

"So that's why you didn't want her to stay behind with the witch?" Riku finally understood everything. "Why not tell her that instead of leaving her in the dark about your feelings?"

Haku inconspicuously glanced over his shoulder at Chihiro, "because she'll want to stay here, and I refuse to let that happen.I finally got her back after all these years, Riku. If I were to suddenly lose her….I wouldn't know how to cope. I want nothing more than to have her by my side for the rest of my existence. But I also have a duty to keep her safe from harm's way. If I have to break her heart to do that, then so be it."

"I see," Riku uttered.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared in the sky and came crashing down like a lightning bolt. Masaru!

"What's he doing here?" asked Kita, taking a fighting stance.

"Looks like he got tired of waiting," Haku casually responded.

Masaru eyed the group.

"And you are?" he coldly asked.

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi," Haku dryly replied, "The newest edition to the team."

"Yes, that's right. I've heard of you, young dragon." said Masaru with a nasty scowl.

"I've heard of you as well,"

"I've also heard that you have business with me," he boomed.

Haku stepped forward, "you're correct. We were just on our way to see you. We want the girl you stole from the human world."

Akira ran up beside Haku, "and then, we want you to surrender to our awesome power and promise never to kidnap another human!"

"The same demands as usual," he scoffed. "But I didn't come all this way to agree to them."

"Get out of the way!" shouted Riku called out.

Haku, Kita, and Riku looked up to see a storm of large adamant gunning straight towards them. They barely managed to escape before more came crashing down.

"Chihiro, get behind me!" Akira ordered, protectively stepping in front of her.

She did as she was told and jumped behind him. Akira threw out his hands and stomped firmly on the ground. Chihiro watched in silence as a large wall made of earth popped out the ground, shielding them from the ongoing attack.

_'He can manipulate earth,'_ she thought.

Haku flew towards Masaru in an attempt to take him head on. He unleashed a piercing cutting wind that tore right through Masaru's energy beams. Masaru, however, carefully dodged the attack and began attacking from above.

"What fools you are," he spat, releasing a storm of piercing adamant.

"Fools, huh?" shouted Kita, before blasting him with a fire attack.

With one hand, Masaru deflected Kita's attacks back at her. Kita watched in horror as her a wave of fire came raging towards her. She barely had anytime to escape. Masaru was much stronger than she remembered. Riku, transforming into his humanoid form, whipped to Kita's side.

"Duplication!" he shouted.

At that instant, 5 different copies of Riku swirled around Masaru. He was completely distracted by the duplicates, that he could no longer focus on his adamant storm. Akira safely stepped from behind his earth but he continued to shield Chihiro just in case.

"Come on," said the real Riku, jumping down next to Akira. "You have to help us."

"Stay here," Riku calmly instructed Chihiro. "I don't think he noticed you yet. It's good not to draw too much attention you draw."

"Understood," said Chihiro with a nod. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Don't worry about us. We're professionals," Akira teased, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, let's go kick some dragon ass—Guardian style!"

He lunged back towards the battle, screeching all the way. Riku rolled his eyes before quickly following after him.

"The things that come out of your mouth," he grumbled, catching up to the rest of them.

_'They're all so powerful,' _she thought. _'But, they're struggling to fight Masaru. Maybe that's why Haku's being so rude to me all of the sudden. I'm the reason they're fighting him in the first place. They're all doing this for my sake. Meanwhile, I'm sitting over here like bumps on a log! If only I could only hold my own and offer some contribution.'_

Chihiro timidly watched as they fiercely battled Masaru. She marveled at their individual power. She'd already been exposed to Haku's power and abilities, but it was her first time watching the others. Kita's attacks appeared to be mostly fire bases. This made perfect sense considering she was a fire based creature. Akira demonstrated earth-like related abilities. Riku seemed to be the outlier of the group. His powers were a variety of different spells and illusions.

_'Wait a second! If Masaru's here now then that means his barrier around his castle is down. That also means there's no one at his castle with Rena,' _realized Chihiro, stepping back behind the wall. _'If I can get away from here unnoticed, then I could probably make it to Masaru's castle.'_

Chihiro sighed as she stuck her hands into her pockets, "I just wish I knew how to get to Masaru's castle."

She suddenly felt something warm and tingly in her right pocket. As grabbed the object to pull it out, she was nearly blinded by its sudden shine. It was none other than Kamaji's golden compass.

'_This compass, how could I have forgotten about it,'_ she thought, examining it up close. _'How strange, I thought compasses only pointed north. So, why is this one pointing west? Do all compasses in the Spirit World Point west?'_

No matter which way Chihiro turned the Compass, the needle continued pointing to the west. What was so special about the west anyway?

"_If you ever find yourself lost, don't forget you have your own personal guide."_

Zeniba's words popped into Chihiro's mind as she stared down at the compass.

'_This must be the guide Granny was talking about,' she thought. 'It lit up after I wished to know the way to Masaru's castle. Then this compass is leading straight to it. I think I understand now. Spirit compasses only work when you will them to.'_

She poked her head around the wall to peek at the battle. So far, all of them were still busy fighting. Chihiro quickly darted through the thickets as she followed the direction of her compass. She was determined to reach Masaru's castle before anyone noticed her absence. She was determined to contribute to the team.

…..

"A spirit? But how is that possible?" questioned Shin. "Shouldn't you be invisible to the naked eye?"

Kastu laughed, "Human ignorance is astonishing. Everything you thought you knew about spirits is false. You're creative, I'll give you that much."

"Katsu….Tatsuo, or whoever the hell you are, Why are you here?" Naomi snapped at him.

He smirked, "As I stated, I am the most powerful being in the Spirit World. Unfortunately, I had a run in with another spirit. After a long and intense battle, I had to retreat from the Spirit World through a portal to another dimension. Unfortunately for me, I didn't focus on where I wanted my portal to connect and I ended up in the human world."

"Unfortunately?" she wondered.

"Yes," he continued. "This world severely limits spiritual power. It was incredibly difficult for me to survive here upon my first arrival. I quickly learned that it was necessary to eat something from this world. If I hadn't, then I would've disappeared into thin air."

"And that's why you need me to tell you where to find the gate," jeered Naomi. "It's because you're too weak to make another portal. You have no power."

"No power?" said Tatsuo with a smirk. "Are you forgetting who it was that altered everyone's memories of your little friend?"

Naomi stayed quiet. She had indeed forgotten. If altering the minds of a mass amount of people was just a tidbit of his power, then what kind of real power did he really have?

"So what, you're some kinda mind controller?" She asked.

"One might say that," said Tatsuo with a dark laugh. "You're lucky I don't have my full strength to put you under my control at the moment. I could have easily forced the information out of your mind long ago. Mind control requires a great deal of energy. Because of my prior mental activities, these men are just about all I can handle right now."

"That's why their eyes are so vacant," Naomi conclude. "It's because they're under your control. They have no minds."

She looked into the eyes of her capturer one more time. They were still as lifeless as ever. How long had they been under his influence? Did they even have a shred of humanity left?

"Why did you do all of this?" she demanded. "This whole elaborate scheme seems unnecessary!"

"I've been looking for a way out of this wretched place since my arrival centuries ago," he carefully explained. "And as you just pointed, I was much too weak to escape on my own. I needed an alternative way; one that I didn't have to conjugate myself. I also needed to blend in a little better. So I came up with the alias of Katsu. Becoming a member of the law enforcement was the perfect way for me to investigate any leads. I've travelled all over this in search for another portal to my world—but I found none."

"I don't usually get my hopes up whenever I hear about a new case," he continued. "But I knew I'd caught on to something the minute I heard about Rena Sayomi's disappearance at the Nakamura ski resort. I know all too well of the mysterious disappearances. Naturally, I jumped onto this case. But I had to make sure no other humans would get in the way of my investigation."

Naomi nervously watched as Tatsuo paced towards Reiji.

"That's why you altered everyone's memories. To keep other investigators from getting in the way of your research," Naomi concluded. "That's why the story wasn't on the news! That's why no one remembers going to the resort—or Chihiro!"

"But our families remembered everything last night. This doesn't make any sense," stated Shin.

"Process of elimination. I simply erased the minds of those I deemed useless from the start," Tatsuo explained. "But I wasn't aware of how much you knew. So I refrained from erasing your minds before questioning you. I figured your sister had told you something, so I left your memories intact. The less I use my powers, the better."

"Bastard! You erased the existence of my best friend, broke into my home and beat up Reiji!" Naomi lashed. "All for what? Just to find the spirit gate? Well you can forget it! I'm not telling you where it is!"

"Hmph, some friend you are," he scoffed. "You don't even care about the lives of your friends."

Reiji cried out in pain as Tatsuo firmly stomped down on his abdomen.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" she screamed.

"Cooperate and I will," he credulously answered.

Naomi tried to force back her tears as she listened to Reiji's deafening screams. He was already badly beaten. She knew deep down inside it was a bad idea to tell Tatsuo how to get to gate. But she was running out of options. She couldn't stand watching Reiji suffer through such torture.

"I'll tell you! Please, don't hurt him anymore. In the back woods, there's a long dirt path surrounded by tiny stone shrines. Follow that path; it'll lead you straight to a tunnel. That's the gate," she shouted, hanging her head in shame.

Tatsuo smiled and nodded to the two men. Shin and Naomi were instantly released from their clutches.

"I'm glad you're thinking for once, Ms. Ikeda," Tatsuo taunted, moving back towards the doorway.

Naomi rushed back to Reiji's side and propped up his battered body. One look at his swollen face was enough to trigger her break down. She no longer had the strength to hold back her tears as she gently caressed his face. He filched slightly with each stroke of her hand.

"Reiji, I'm so sorry this happened to you," she whispered.

"Are…are you….crying?" he struggled to whisper back. "I never thought I'd see you cry. It…kind makes your face weird."

"You idiot! Stop joking at a time like this!" she ordered. "If you weren't already injured I'd cave you in the gut!"

Reiji managed to crack a tiny smile, "I'm sure you would, but I wasn't joking. I don't like seeing you cry. You're so much prettier when you smile."

"Did you just call me pretty?" she gasped. _'Oh no! These injuries are worse than I thought! He must've been hit in the head one too many times.'_

"Alright, you've got what you wanted," said Shin, drawing attention away from Reiji and Naomi. "Now leave."

"Whenever you're ready to leave," said Tatsuo, crossing his arms.

"Leave? You didn't say we had to go with you,"

"I'm sorry, I thought it was implied," Tatsuo said with a dark chuckle. "Now, unless you want my men to roughly drag that boy out of here, I suggest you take the initiative and carry him out. We're going for a drive."


	12. Race to the Finish

**Disclaimer: Don't own Spirited Away, and all that jazz**

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><p>Chihiro fought here way through the dense jungles of the spirit world. She was determined to go wherever her compass pointed, even if it met swimming through a channel. Of course, she hoped that wouldn't be the case. She'd been running for all of 5 minutes when she felt her body begin to slow down. Eventually, Chihiro stopped completely to catch her breath. She leaned on a nearby tree for support as she hunched over and gasped for air.<p>

"Note to self," she huffed, leaning on a tree for support. "Don't try out for the track team in high school."

She received a hollow feeling in her chest at the very thought of something like that. Going to high school now seemed liked a distant memory. She could barely even remember stressing over high school entrance exams or nervously opening her acceptance letters. As a matter of fact, every single detail from the human world seemed like a blur to her. To randomly think of these things now was a little strange to Chihiro.

Though she felt like quitting, Chihiro had to force herself to keep going. Otherwise she'd lose her chance to rescue Rena. The Guardians couldn't hold of Masaru forever. And he'd eventually return home once he sensed someone penetrating his barrier. No, she had to keep moving forward. She had to do this.

_'I wonder how much further I need to go?' _she wondered, staring down at the compass. _'Too bad it doesn't work like a GPS. That way I'd know how close I was.'_

Chihiro looked to the twilight ridden sky through the tree tops. Amber sun rays scattered through the dark clouds to make way for the rising sun. It was hard to believe that so much happened before noon. She quickly averted her eyes back to her path, took a huge breath, and sprinted forward.

_'I have to get there,' _thought Chihiro, running through her pain. _'I need to prove that I'm not just a burden.'_

She thought more about Haku as she ran through the dense forest. She thought long and hard about their falling out. That particular conversation played over and over again in her head. She could even visualize his fiery expression as clear as day. His piercing green eyes jabbed away at the corners of her fragile mind.

_You shouldn't have come here…_

He said to her.

His sudden change in attitude was a complete shock to her. He was perfectly normal just before that. Initially, Chihiro was wounded by Haku's icy words. She felt completely betrayed by him and thought long and hard about giving up. But now that she had time to think, she approached the subject again with a clearer mind. He was trying to push her away from him. Haku, for whatever reason, was making a desperate attempt to distance the two. He was never good at expressing what was in his heart, and so resorted to a tongue lashing instead.

_You shouldn't have come here…_

_ Was what he said. But _what he meant was,

_You can't stay here…._

Chihiro glanced at her compass, checking to see if she had strayed off course.

_'He doesn't think I'm capable of holding my own here,' _she thought. _'He doesn't think I can defend myself against the dangers of this world. That's what he's thinking, I know it is! That's why he changed his mind about me being here. No because he doesn't want me around. He must've just realized how dangerous this whole thing is. He thinks I'm going to get hurt. That has to be the answer. But if I can prove to him that I can handle my own, then maybe he'll change his mind. And maybe he'll let me…'_

She suddenly came to a screeching halt as pondered over her own thoughts. Maybe he'll what? Let her stay in the Spirit World with him? No, that was absurd! She could never do such a thing. Why would she even think about something like that? She had a life back in the human world. She had friends and a family waiting for her. She was starting high school next month. The entire world was ahead of her? Was she really gonna throw everything away to stay in the Spirit World with some boy?

But he wasn't just a boy. Calling him that would be an understatement. He was the one that fed her spirit food in order to keep her from disappearing. He was the one the protected her from Yubaba's evil clutches. He even offered her a shoulder to cry on that faithful day in the meadow. Even though he was Yubaba's henchmen at the time, he risked his life to help Chihiro. He'd been her strong foundation throughout that entire terrifying ordeal. No, Haku wasn't just a boy—he was her savior. She'd been longing to see him for so long. She couldn't just leave without ever looking back as she initially planned. No, she wasn't giving up on Haku that easy. She wouldn't allow him to write her off because of his concern for her safety. She was as determined as ever to prove him wrong. And once she did…

_If you decided to stay, please let me know first…_

Naomi's parting words were once again sprung into Chihiro's mind. But should she stay? She wanted to prove to Haku that she was worthy of this challenging world. And she wanted to prove to herself that she was worthy of being with Haku. But she also wanted to be with her friends and family. She wanted to complete her education and excel in life.

Chihiro finally mustered the strength to keep moving towards Masaru's lair. She ignored the pains she felt in her chest and feet. Nothing was going to keep her from this goal.

_'I won't choose,' _she thought. _'Not now. Not until I complete this mission. I'm going to save Rena no matter what. This is no longer about proving myself to Haku or going home. I'm saving her because I'm the only one that can right now.'_

She tapped into a hidden energy source deep within her soul and doubled her speed. Chihiro was so focused on reaching her goal, that she was completely oblivious to her surroundings. She didn't even notice the mysterious, yet familiar figure stalking her from the tree tops.

(^_^_^_^_^_^)

"Riku! Heads up!" Akira warned, dashing halfway across the field. Masaru, who was hot on his trail, was attacking him with deadly energy beams. "Hurry up and do it!"

Their plan was to have Akira lure Masaru into the open and completely surround him with Riku duplicates. Once Masaru was distracted, Kita would step in and blind him with her solar light. With his sight temporarily gone, they'd have a much easier chance at defeating him. If only everything would go according to plan.

Riku sprung into action and created 6 duplicates of himself. All of them rushed forward towards Masaru in an effort to stall him. But the dragon proved to be too smart for the young heroes. He quickly expelled them back with an extreme gust of wind just as Kita was zooming forward. Riku's duplicates faded back into his body as he and Akira were slammed down into the ground.

"You jerk!" Kita shouted, flinging flame balls at him.

"No, Kita! Come back here!" Riku instructed. "But she didn't

He angelically avoided each one of the assaults as he zoomed toward her. Before she knew it, Masaru was directly in front of her. He grabbed her by the throat and pulled her closer.

"A typical woman," he scoffed. "Hard headed, stubborn, and quick to anger."

She blinked in confusion before kneeing him in the solar plexus. To her surprise, Masaru was virtually unphased by her attack. She was the only one hurting! Her knee was throbbing in pain! He clenched her throat tighter.

"Pathetic," he merely stated. "Absolutely pathetic. You're not even trying."

She held out her palm in an effort to blast him in the chest. But before she got her chance, Masaru flung her away from him. Kita spiral back towards the ground a rocket speed. Just as she was about to slam down into the rock hard earth, Haku swooped in and caught her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her without looking down.

"I'm fine," she responded, slightly flustered. "He just took me by surprise. That's all."

He placed her down on her feet and stared up at Masaru.

"Something doesn't seem right," Haku assessed. "Why is he just hanging there in the sky? He has a clear shot at us all."

By that time, Riku and Akira had arrived down next to the group.

"That's the way he always fights," Riku answered. "He doesn't usually attack unless provoked and keeps his distance. It's almost as if he's giving us an opportunity to either retaliate or surrender. And we usually have no choice but to surrender."

"But, it was supposed to be different this time," said Haku, looking back to the rest of the group. "He's been recruited by Yubaba to kill us off. Why else would he leave his castle to come pick a fight with us? He already knew we were on the way there. It just doesn't make any sense."

Kita smoothed out her kimono, "nothing about that jerk has ever made any sense to me. His heart's never really been into fighting."

"His heart you say?" Haku thought out loud, staring down at the ground. "Wait a second, where's Chihiro?"

"I left her behind and earth wall to keep her safe from danger," Akira answered, pointing to it's location many yards away. "Don't worry, she's okay."

Haku seemed a bit skeptical of Akira's answer. But he couldn't just go check on her. He didn't want to alert Masaru of her presence. He couldn't even sense her energy. She'd eaten so much spirit food that she lost her human scent. The fact that she was still under the protection of Yubaba's hair band didn't help him either. Haku had no way of knowing if Chihiro was okay.

"I thought you wanted to stop me," taunted Masaru from above. "You're more interested in conversing with one another. How boring."

Masaru caught Haku longingly glancing at Akira's stone wall.

"Yes, I remember now," he said with a scowl. "There were five of you, were there not? That's right, the old witch told me there would be a young girl with you."

Akira looked at Masaru with alarm.

"My instructions were to kill you all. But as of now, you four are not worthy of my opinion. You're quite the boring scum," said Masaru, taking aim at Akira's wall. "However, I am curious to know just how fast this girl can run. Consider my interest peaked."

"No!" shouted Haku, flying to save Chihiro. Masaru released a surge of power at the wall.

"Chihiro!" shouted Akira and Riku. Even Kita was watching with terror as Haku raced against Masaru's disastrous power. Who would get to Chihiro first?

Haku managed to reach it first with only a few seconds to spare. But to his surprise, Chihiro was nowhere to be found. Haku quickly surveyed the area for any trace of her. Where could she have gone?

"Kokaku!" shrieked Kita. "Get out of the way!"

Haku snapped back to reality and dodged Masaru's oncoming attack. He watched as the earth wall completely obliterated where it once stood.

"Chihiro!" Haku called out. "Chihiro, where are you?!"

Akira, Riku, and Kita watched from afar.

"She wasn't there," Riku concluded. "Then what happened to her?"

Masaru, who was still floating from above, slowly began to feel a nagging in his soul. Someone was standing on the edge of his barrier. He could feel it. But who would be bold enough to enter his castle?

"You little brats tried to trick me," he said with a twisted expression. "Sending one of you ahead to my castle while I wasn't there was a clever thought, I'll give you that much. But it won't help you out in the long run."

"Sending one of us ahead?" Kita wondered. "What's he talking about now?"

"It's Chihiro!" shouted Akira towards Haku. "She must've gone to his castle while we were distracted by battle."

Haku suddenly looked up, "She did what?!"

Masaru transformed into his dragon state and whipped by Haku.

_'No, he's gonna kill her!' _Haku immediately transformed and raced after Masaru, slamming into his scaling body. The two entangled their bodies together in an effort to slow the other down. _'I won't let him get to Chihiro first.'_

"We need to get the castle too," said Riku. "Haku's doing what he can to slow down Masaru. If we get there first, we'll be able to protect Chihiro."

"And we can help save her friend," Akira added.

But Kita stomped down on the ground, "I'm so sick of everyone talking about Chihiro all the time!"

"Kita, she's our client. It's our duty to protect her," Riku fired back.

"Well I'm sick of her being around! The sooner we get rid of her, the better."

Riku struggled to hold back his frustration, "well she's here now for the time being. So suck it up and deal with it!"

"No! Everything was fine until that girl showed up! If it weren't for her, we wouldn't even be in this mess! We wouldn't be messing with Masaru! And Haku wouldn't be so busy with her all the time! And maybe, just maybe, he'd have more time for me!"

"Kita, when are you going to give that up?" Riku tenderly questioned, taking her by the hand. "Haku has been in love with that girl for 5 years now. He never stopped loving her, not even during their separation. I've never seen him happier then he's been the past 2 days. His thoughts were filled with her way before we ever met him. I'm so sorry to tell you this Kita, but you never stood a chance."

Tears swelled in Kita's golden eyes. Deep down inside, she always knew that was the truth. She knew Chihiro meant the world to Haku. She'd heard it straight from his mouth. But to hear the words aloud was a completely different story.

"If you really cared about him, you'd set aside your feelings and help us rescue Chihiro," said Riku, dropping her hands.

"Kita?" said Akira with concern. It had been awhile since she'd spoken.

She gently wiped away her tears and turned away from them, "stand back. I'm about to transform."

(^_^_^_^_^_^)

Haku roared as he wrestled Masaru to the ground. The two dragons clawed and scratched at each other every chance they got. They were literally butting heads the entire way to the castle. Haku was determined to keep his enemy from reaching his destination.

_'This girl,' _said Masaru, mentally sending a message to Haku. He managed to pin down the young dragon, _'She's human, isn't she?'_

Haku struggled to break away, _'And what if she is?'_

_ 'You should know better than the one to love alone,' _Masaru scolded. _'Especially when the enemy is near.'_

_ 'You speak with experience. Are you referring to your deceased wife, Ayako?'_

Suddenly, Masaru began growling violently. He bit down onto Haku's neck, causing him to yell in pain.

_'Don't you dare say her name! You have no right to!'_

Haku unleashed a gust of wind from his mouth and forced Masaru off his body.

_'Feeling guilty because you couldn't protect her?' Haku taunted the older dragon._

Masaru glared at Haku with his crimson eyes, _'soon you will come to understand that same pain, young dragon.'_

(^_^_^_^_^_^)

"This is it, huh?" muttered Tatsuo, standing at the edge of the tunnel. "The entrance to the realm of spirits."

Naomi, who was standing next to him, rolled her eyes, "Yes, this is it."

"And how do I know you aren't trying to trick me?" he asked with a dark grin.

"Because I'm not!" she snapped. "Why would I lead a homicidal maniac into the woods, where no one can hear our screams, if it were a trick?!"

Shin stood behind her with Reiji on his back.

"I suppose you're right," he admitted, grabbing onto her arm. "But just to be sure, ladies first."

He shoved her out in front of him. She turned back to glare at him and stormed into the tunnel. Tatsuo motioned for Shin and Reiji to follow her in. Before entering himself, Tatsuo turned to his two henchmen.

"Gentlemen, it's been fun," he said. With a snap of his finger, both of them dropped to the ground—completely brain dead. "Well, it was for me at least."

"What do we do now?" Naomi whispered to her brother. "Once we get into the Spirit World, he'll kill us."

"He might," said Shin, still lugging Reiji.

"Do something!" she pleaded.

"Naomi, what do you expect me to do?" he asked, very much puzzled.

"Oh, don't worry," said Tatsuo from behind them. "I won't dispose of you just yet. I still have use for the 3 of you."

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><p><strong>Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! Special shout-out to Fruitysmell who's also writing an awesome Sprited Away fic! BTW Fruitysmell...Lol I dedicate all 3 cliffhangers to you! :p <strong>


	13. Castle in the Mist

**Hello all! I apologize for the delay! I'm suffering from some severe computer issues at the moment XD**

**...but anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. And as usual, I own nothing. But you already knew that**

**because this is fanfiction! Huzaa! XD**

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><p>Chihiro squinted as she tried to peer through an ominous fog. It was so thick she could barely see her outstretched arm in front of her face. The air around her grew colder and colder with each baby step she took. Chihiro had been making great progress, until she stumbled upon the icy mist! She had no choice but to continue onward. Nothing was going to steer her of course. There wasn't a force in the Spirit World that would stop her from proving her worth to Haku.<p>

_'I know I'm definitely close now,' _she quietly thought to herself. _'This sensation I'm feeling is strange. I can actually sense Masaru's essence lingering in the air. Should that be possible for a human like me? Is this the extent of his power?'_

Chihiro reached down into her pocket to check the compass. She brought it within an inch of her face and tried her best to read it through the thick haze. Eventually, she gave up and stuck it back in it's place.

She sighed and hung her head in frustration. "This fog is making my life miserable!"

All of the sudden, a dark shadow darted passed her. Chihiro spotted it from the corner of her eye and warily jumped to the side. Someone, or something, was eyeing her through the mist. Chihiro felt goose bumps rising up her back—and they weren't from the cold air!

"Wh-who's there?! Show yourself!" she timidly called out. _'Or you could just stay hidden and go away. That works too….'_

It was then that she felt a hand on the small of her back. She froze as it slowly traced up her back and gripped her shoulder. No matter how hard Chihiro tried, she couldn't bring herself to move. She was completely immobilized with fear. She felt hot breath grazing all over the back of her neck and head. The familiar scent of cigars and old perfume swarmed around her.

"Sen, how nice it is to see you again. Poor dear, did your friends leave you all alone?" whispered a voice.

Chihiro's eyes widened and her neck stiffened. _'Yubaba?'_

She immediately took off running at full speed, not once looking over her shoulder. She didn't care if she couldn't see where she was going. She just wanted to get as far away from that witch as possible. How could she have forgotten that Yubaba and Masaru were working together? Zeniba warned them all to take precautions.

"Where are you off to? Is that any way to treat your old boss?"

Yubaba's taunts echoed all around Chihiro as she desperately tried to escape. But the more she ran, the thicker the fog became. The air was so cold that Chihiro could now see her own breath. Even so, she kept running.

"Oh, I just wanna talk to you,"

_'Ha! Not likely,' _thought Chihiro.

"Running away instead of facing me, eh? And here I thought you'd become stronger. Looks like I was wrong about you. Or maybe it was just my sister's gift that I was sensing,"

Chihiro slow down and eventually came to a full stop. Was Yubaba calling her a coward? The only reason she'd sought out the castle on her own was to prove herself to Haku and his team. And now that she had the perfect opportunity, she rejected it! She let her fear get in the way. Perhaps she wasn't as useful as she thought.

She turned around to face Yubaba, but she could see nothing but the thick white fog for miles. It was as though they'd been swallowed up by a cloud. Even so, she knew Yubaba was still there.

"Alright, I'm here! I'm done running," she shouted into the mist.

Chihiro shielded her face as a swirling vortex formed right before her eyes. The vortex resembled a small grey tornado. Chihiro watched as the fog around her was sucked into the mini tornado. She was amazed to finally be able to see her own body. She could also see the dew covered grass below her feet. But only the fog directly around her disappeared.

"I knew you'd man up sooner or later," boomed a voice from above her.

Chihiro looked up to see an enormous pair of granny bloomers hovering over her. She quickly moved away the second she realized she was staring right up Yubaba's dress. The old witch was floating directly over Chihiro's head.

_'I think I've been emotionally scarred too many times in one day!' _thought Chihiro, masking her embarrassment with an awkward cough.

"So good that you decided to change your mind. But hunting you down like the animal you're destined to become would've been good too," Yubaba jeered.

_ "_What do you want?" grunted Chihiro.

Yubaba laughed at the girl's attempts at bravery. "Am I supposed to be afraid of that? Sen, you always were an interesting one."

"What _do _you want?" Chihiro sternly repeated.

"It's just that," said Yubaba, leering at the young girl, "I've been given the perfect chance to destroy you and I'm wondering if I should take it. Even now, I still can't decide if I should go through with it. I've come so close to doing it during your little journey."

"You've been following me?" asked Chihiro.

"Aren't you just the sharpest tool in the tool shed, Sen?" Yubaba snarled. "I've been watching your group from distance to keep your friends from sensing me. But you, a mere human, couldn't sense me at all. None of the others noticed your absence, so I followed after you. I eventually figured out where you were going and could've cut you off long ago. But, I wanted to test your senses and see how long it'd take you to notice me. I'm afraid you failed my test this time."

"Uh, don't you think you're being a little rash?" asked Chihiro, cautiously stepping away from the witch.

"Because of you I nearly went into bankruptcy!" screeched Yubaba. "Do you have any idea how much it cost to fix the damage done by that stupid nohface creature? If it hadn't been for you, I'd still have Haku under my control. You just had to give the little dragon runt his name back."

As Yubaba spoke, the swirling vortex grew bigger and bigger. The winds began to pick up both speed and strength. Chihiro struggled to hold her ground and keep from being sucked in. But without anything to anchor onto, Chihiro was swept away within a matter of seconds. She screamed as she was tossed around the inside of the tornado. She had no idea which was up and which was down! The wind was so sharp and intense, it nearly scared her body.

"Some of my workers even remembered their names! People were quitting left and right! Do you have any idea how much money I lost? A fortune! Did I forget to mention that you also turned m sweet darling little boy against me?!" boomed Yubaba's voice over the roaring wind. "So no, I'm not being too rash! You and Haku are going to pay for what you've done. Since you don't have enough money to pay me back, you'll just have to pay with your lives. I didn't want to handle this myself, that's why I brought in Masaru. But, like I said, you gave me an opportunity. You should've just stayed with the group, Sen. How could a human like you possibly survive in the Spirit World on her own?"

Chihiro continued to be whipped around by the tornado. If she didn't think of something soon, her neck might break. She dove into her sweatshirt pocket and pulled out her compass. She was surprised to find it still inside the front pocket.

"Then take this!" she hollered, holding it out in front of her.

Suddenly, the winds began to die down a little. Chihiro found herself sinking back down towards the ground. She grunted with pain as she slammed down on her back. Even so, she was as damaged as she thought she was. She would be fine. Chihiro was once again engulfed in mist.

"Your compass?" asked Yubaba, materializing through the mist. She was the only thing Chihiro could see clearly.

Though she couldn't see the compass, Chihiro could still feel it in her hand. She extended her arm forward to the old witch. "It's a magic golden compass. I'm not sure how much they're worth here but—"

"Ah yes, I noticed you checking that think several times. But I didn't realize it was a magic item. How'd a brat like you get a hold of such a thing?" Yubaba interrupted. "Those are extremely rare and valuable! Especially the golden ones!"

"You can have it, if you want," said Chihiro sweetly.

But just as Yubaba reached forward, Chihiro quickly snapped back her arm, "but only under one condition."

"Condition?" snorted Yubaba. "What makes you think you can give me a condition?"

"Because I've got the gold," said Chihiro with a smirk.

Yubaba angrily folded her arms across her wide chest. "Alright, alright. What's the condition?"

"If you let me go right now, and promise not to harm me or any of my friends, I'll give you the compass," said Chihiro.

"And what makes you think I'll let you go after taking the compass?" the witch slyly asked.

Chihiro rose to her feet and gently brushed the dirt off her shoulders, "Because, Granny, you're not as bad as you think you are. Sure, you're a conniving, name stealing, parent kidnapping, soul sucking, shady bathhouse owner. But for the most part, you usually play by the rules. My parents and I would still be trapped in this world if that weren't true."

"Hmph," groaned Yubaba. "I hope you don't think you're paying me back with that thing! That compass, while extremely valuable, isn't enough to pay back the damage you've done!"

"Then you should just let Masaru take care of me like you originally planned. The whole point of you even hiring him was so you wouldn't have to kill me yourself, right? Well, why are you doing an underling's job? Doesn't that put you on the same level as said underling?"

Chihiro carefully studied Yubaba's keen expression? Was she buying it? Chihiro had no real way of knowing.

"And now you insult me by implying I'm an underling?!" Yubaba's nostrils were on the verge of flaring.

Chihiro placed her hands on her hips, "well, you're the one behaving like one! Now tell me, do we have a deal?"

Yubaba thought long and hard before finally snatching the compass from Chihiro's grasp.

"I don't know what game you're trying to play, Sen, but I'll play along for now. I promise not to harm you or your little friends. So you get to live….for now! But Masaru's on his way here as we speak! He sensed your presence in his barrier and is coming after you."

"He's what?" gasped Chihiro, frantically looking around.

"But don't worry about him. You should be safe in the meantime," Yubaba began floating away from her. "Like I said, I won't kill any of you. But I'll still be watching as Masaru rips you to shreds. You will pay for what you've done to my bathhouse."

"Maybe, but not right now," Chihiro shouted out to her. "Seeya later, Granny!"

"Hmph, I missed judged you Sen. It seems you've become stronger after all," Yubaba remarked, slipping into her bird form and soaring to the sky. "And stop calling me Granny!"

Chihiro watched as Yubaba disappeared into the mist. She sighed with relief as she was once again alone.

_'Glad that's over for now. I just hope we can defeat Masaru so she doesn't have to step back in this battle,' _thought Chihiro, peering around. _'Great. I don't even know where I am. And I don't have my compass anymore to guide me. What am I gonna do now?'_

"Chihiro!"

It was faint, but she could definitely hear someone shouting her name.

"Chihiro!"

There is was again. It was too soft for her to recognize the voice. But it was definitely one of the Guardians. No one else in the Spirit World called her by her real name but them.

_'Oh no! I wasted too much time with Yubaba! They all caught up to me!'_ She thought. There was nowhere for her to run or hide. Not in here current surroundings.

"Chihiro!"

They were much closer now. She recognized Akira's voice perfectly. A warm swirling wind filled the air and warmed Chihiro's skin. It was the first time she felt warmth since entering the barrier. It was such a comforting feeling.

"There she is!" shouted Akira. "I see her!"

Chihiro furrowed her brow in confusion. _'How is it they can see me, but I can't see them?'_

Suddenly, she felt someone latch onto her arms and lift her up into the air. Chihiro yelped and wildly kicked at her attacker.

"Oww, Chihiro! Stop, it's just me!"

Chihiro turned to glance over her shoulder. Although she couldn't see clearly, she vaguely made out the features of Riku's face. He was leaping up into the sky with her.

"Riku!" she exclaimed. "Ugh, don't do that! I thought you were…someone else."

"You were expecting someone else?" he asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Uh, not exactly."

She felt the air getting warmer and warmer the higher up they jumped. She felt another pair of hands taking her from Riku's grasp. She was gently placed on a soft, smooth surface. It reminded her of a giant feather bed. Chihiro cooed over its warmth and gently nuzzled her face in it

"So soft!" she whispered.

"Don't be alarmed, Chihiro. It's just me!" echoed Akira's voice from over her shoulder. "And Kita too, but she's our ride."

"Ride?"

The warm wind she was feeling was really Kita's energy. Akira and Riku must've gone ahead of Haku to look of her.

"Wait, so that means….I'm…..?"

The thought of riding on Kita's back scarred her. Kita hated her guts! What if she decided to flip her off and smash her to death?! Chihiro didn't want to take that chance.

"I'm sorry Kita! I didn't mean to nuzzle you! I mean….I, uh,"

"It's okay," said Riku, slipping in front of her. "She understands."

Chihiro blinked in confusion. "She understands what?"

"Everything,"

"Let's hurry and get to the castle before the dragons show up," ordered Akira, grasping onto Chihiro's back. "Hold on everyone."

Kita let out a loud screech and zoomed forward.

"Where's Haku?" asked Chihiro. "Is he okay?"

"He's holding off Masaru at the moment," Akira answered.

"Chihiro, what were you thinking?!" scolded Riku. "Why did you come here alone? You could've been killed!"

Chihiro tightened her grip around Riku's waistline, "you were all so busy. I wanted to do something to help."

"Putting yourself in danger isn't helping anyone,"

"By the way, how'd you know where to go?" Akira wondered. "You came dangerously close to the castle."

"Yeah, I meant to ask that as well," said Riku.

"Oh, well you see.." Chihiro began. If she told them about the compass, they'd ask to see it. Then what would she tell them? That she traded it to a witch in exchange for their prolonged deaths? No way, they'd just scold her some more! Or, maybe they'd commend her for her bravery and quick thinking. She wasn't exactly sure! "…I, uh…."

Kita let out an enormous screech.

"Everyone, brace for impact!" Riku translated.

Riku, Chihiro, and Akira ducked down as Kita picked up immense speed. The next thing they knew, she was slamming down into hard surface. The vibration of the collision nearly shook Chihiro off her back. Akira did his best to shield Chihiro and Riku from any flying debris.

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"What is this?" asked Tatsuo with discern. "This isn't the Spirit World. Have you led me on a wild goose hunt, girl?"

"No, she went through that tunnel, I'm sure of it," said Naomi, examining the surroundings.

They were standing in the middle of a grassy plain. On the hill in distance, stood the rusty remains of an abandoned theme park. Naomi was confused herself. This place didn't look anymore spiritual than her own backyard. But this place was beyond the stone tunnel. This is where Chihiro had gone.

` Tatsuo violently latched onto her throat. "I think you're lying to me! Why haven't my powers returned yet? Why can't I sense any spiritual power coming from the land?"

"I don't know!" she coughed, trying to break free.

But Tatsuo tightened his squeeze around her neck, "You do know! What comes next in Chihiro's story after she passed through the tunnel?!"

Naomi felt herself passing out, "I don't remember!"

"I suggest you try unless you wanna join those two men outside the gate," he threatened.

"The river!" shouted Shin.

Tatsuo loosened his grip on Naomi, "what was that, boy?"

"We're still on the human side. But once you cross over the dried river, we'll officially be in the Spirit World," said Shin. "We just have to keep walking a bit further to get to it."

"Is that so?"

Shin nodded, "that's what comes next in the story. Now let go of my sister!"

Tatsuo stared down Shin before releasing the girl. Naomi dropped down to her knees and gasped for air.

"Take a minute to collect yourself," said Tatsuo casually as he walked away from her. "You need it."

Shin watched as Tatsuo walked ahead of them before going to aid his sister. He carefully put Reiji down in the grass beside her.

"You okay?" he asked.

Naomi rubbed her neck, "yeah, I'm fine."

Shin sighed with relief and turned away from her.

"I can't believe you remembered," she commented.

"Remembered what?"

"That story I told you. About Chihiro? You remembered it," she said, standing to her feet. "I'd be dead if it weren't for you right now."

"No, he said he still had use for us," said Shin grimly. "Come on, he's waiting for us…."

"Ugh, if that bastard thinks he's getting away with strangling me," said Naomi, helping Reiji onto Shin's back, "he's got another thing coming!"

"Naomi, you realize the odds aren't in our favor?" said Shin, lugging along with Reiji. Naomi followed closely behind him. "He's a spirit god, and we're only human. The best we can do is appease him in order to stay alive. We can't fight him. In fact, we don't even know the true measure of his power."

"I don't give a crap about any of those things! Everyone has a weakness," she instinctively lowered her voice as they approached the dried river bank. Tatsuo was waiting for them just as Shin said, "And the faster he unleashes his true power the faster we can find it."

Shin sighed before whispering back. "You really do read too much shonen."


	14. The Enchanted Chamber

**Hello readers! I didn't forget you guys! Lol I promise! I've just been busy with a lot of stuff, and hurricane sandy threw me off a bit...also I'm still having issues with my laptop! *grrrrr* but anyway, please enjoy this update! XD**

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><p>"Get out of my way," roared Masaru, soaring through the sky. He rammed his scaly body into Haku's, forcing the young dragon back many yards. "Filthy delinquent!"<p>

Haku came back with full force, whacked his opponent with his tail, and into the forest below. He quickly took cover as debris from Masaru's impact filled the air. He was absolutely determined not to let Masaru pass. But fighting the seasoned dragon alone was beginning to take a toll on him. His body was trembling all over with aches and pains from their battle.

"The human girl," echoed Masaru's voice as he arose in human form. "What does she mean to you?"

Haku, taken by surprise, also switched back. "Nothing, it's just my job to rescue her from spirits like you."

"I'm not referring to the one in my captivity," He grunted, keeping a steady distance. "I'm referring to the one who managed to slip away and into my territory. The one you're desperately trying to protect from me."

Haku's eyes slightly widened, but for the most part, he maintained his cool demeanor. "She's just another client of ours. I'm actively working to protect both girls from you."

Masaru frowned as he folded his arms across his broad chest. "You're lying through your teeth, boy. Yubaba informed me that the two of you were lovers."

"If that's what you think, then why bother asking me about the nature of our relationship?" Scoffed Haku.

For a moment, the two were locked in a deadly stare off as they floated hundreds of feet in the air. It was only a matter of time before Masaru attacked again, so Haku was taking this time to rest. If he could just keep the conversation going a little longer…

"I wanted to hear your answer," Masaru simply replied. "It was exactly as I expected; How predicable."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can see what you're doing. Pretending to act nonchalant about the woman you love in order to keep your enemies from using her life against you. It wouldn't be such a bad strategy if your actions and words weren't so inconsistent," Masaru grimly chided.

Haku didn't quite know how to respond. Why was Masaru bringing all of this up right now? Wasn't he given orders by Yubaba to kill him and all his friends? So why was Masaru taking the time to lecture him on something that didn't concern him at all? Nothing was making any sense.

"You say she's nothing more than a client to you," Masaru continued. "Yet, you sent the rest of the lot to protect her, while you yourself stayed behind to stall me. As I've said, you're full of inconsistencies."

"If you're trying to provoke me, then it won't work. It won't be that easy," Haku remarked.

"I'm not trying to provoke you. I just find your protection techniques to be interesting," Masaru responded. "Leaving your loved one alone while there's an enemy on the loose is a very poor choice."

"Just like what happened with Ayako?"

Masaru's eyes bulged with anger and the winds around rapidly began to pick up. "What did you just say?" As he listened to his young foe, he felt his blood slowly boiling within.

"I know about what happened to her. Because you left her unprotected, she was an easy access to your enemy. You weren't there to save her," he continued. "You've no right to chastise me about the way I protect my love when you couldn't even protect your own. Or, are you simply warning me not to make the same pitiful mistake?"

The elder dragon spirit zoomed towards Haku with lightning speed. An ominous blue flare surrounded his body as the distance between the two slowly closed. Haku quickly put up a wind shield, just as Masaru was about ram into him. But instead of backing off after he hit the shield like Haku wanted, Masaru continued pressing forward and forced his spirit energy into the shield. With no ground to anchor himself, Haku was easily pushed back by Masaru's force. If he withheld any longer, Masaru would over power him and destroy his shield. Suddenly, Haku felt himself being rapidly forced towards the earth. He was literally stuck between a rock and a hard place!

"I won't be so easily defeated," he grunted.

"Don't overestimate yourself, boy!"

Just then, a long ice prong shot up from the ground underneath Haku. He barely had enough time to maneuver away from it, but this distraction was just the edge Masaru needed. He easily broke through Haku's shield and blasted him in the chest. Haku's body impacted with the hard ground below him, creating an enormous crater. Masaru landed down at the very edge of the crater and waited for the dust to subside. When it finally did, Haku's battered, unconscious body was revealed.

"I told you not to overestimate yourself," barked Masaru.

Suddenly, Haku's eyelids began fluttering. "And I-I told you that I w-wouldn't be so easily defeated."

"You're pretty strong for a brat," said Masaru.

"Don't count me out, Masaru," demanded Haku, struggling to sit up. "I'm not…f-finished. I won't let you hurt her….." Haku collapsed back down and once again lost consciousness.

"No, but I'm finished with you," Masaru coldly replied, turning away as he took to the skies. "I have no interest in killing someone who can no longer defend themselves. The old witch can do what she likes."

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"Chihiro? Yo, Chihiro! Now isn't the time to be napping!"

Chihiro woke to find Akira, Riku and Kita staring down at her. She was surprised to find herself lying in a pile of ruble. Just what happened? She instantly sat up, only to receive a queasy feeling in her stomach. Riku observed the troubled girl and shook his head in sympathy.

"She's still a little out of it," he said, placing a head on Chihiro's forehead.

Kita frowned. " She's suffering from a head injury, loser. Not a fever."

"You're the reason she got a head injury in the first place! No one told you to ram into the castle wall! I barely had time to warn them!" He shot back.

"Oh, would you rather me have burned down the wall, accidentally killing the girl in the process?" Kita angrily crossed her arms over her chest. "She's somewhere in here. Don't forget that."

"It's a good thing she wasn't on the other side of this wall," muttered Riku under his breath. He calmly rose to his feet.

Akira turned to Chihiro, who was still sitting quietly on the floor. "You alright now?"

"I'm fine. It's just a little bump to the head, really." Chihiro shivered as she vigorously stroked her arms for warmth. "Gah, it's freezing in here! It feels worse in here than it did outside. How can anyone live in these conditions?"

"Well, the owner is an ice dragon," said Akira, helping Chihiro to her feet. "And we did just leave a huge gaping hole in the wall so the cold mist was bound to come in."

She held on to Akira as he led her out of the pile of rubble. Akira was right about the icy mist seeping inside of the castle. While the conditions weren't nearly as bad as they were outside, it was still difficult to see down the dark corridor. She figured it would be easier to see once they got away from the hole in the wall.

"Alright, now that everyone's conscious we should plan our next move. Should we try splitting up to and searching the castle?" Riku asked.

Akira's jaw hung open. "Dude, are you serious?! Do you even hear yourself right now? We can't spilt up! That's a sure way to get us knocked of one by one! That's exactly what the enemy wants us to do!"

"Oh, will you please stop being so paranoid!" Riku complained. "The enemy isn't even here."

"No, but it's not like he's rapidly approaching this castle, as we speak, with the intent to kill us all!" Akira sarcastically remarked. "I mean, it would just be crazy to think that. wouldn't it?"

"I'm gonna have to agree with him," said Chihiro firmly. "I've already encountered one enemy alone. I think it would be best to just stay together. There's safety in numbers."

Riku stared at the young human. "Encountered one enemy?"

Chihiro noticed Kita intently staring down the misty corridor. Her eyes locked on something just out of Chihiro's range of sight. What was she staring at with such intensity? Could she really see through that? Chihiro slowly edged closer to Kita and tried to follow her line of sight.

She gulped before reaching out to tug on Kita's arm. "Hey, is everything alright?"

Chihiro was surprised by how warm to the touch Kita's body was. She could feel the warmth even through Kita's sleeve. It felt kinda comforting. But Chihiro's pleasant feelings disappeared when Kita suddenly turned and stared directly into her eyes. Chihiro quickly let go of Kita's arm and recoiled back and looked away from her.

"Uh, I'm sorry for touching you! I won't do it again, I promise! You just looked like you were troubled by something!"

When Kita didn't respond, Chihiro summoned up her courage and carefully glanced back at her again. Chihiro was shocked to see such a serene expression on Kita's smooth face. It the first time she didn't look at her with animosity. During her entire adventure, Kita hadn't managed to say anything remotely civilized to her. Chihiro never had the chance to ask Riku about his conversation with Haku. She he'd gone to talk to Haku for her but never got ask about it. But whatever they talked about was obviously said in front of Kita. So what was said in order to cause Kita to have a sudden changed in attitude.

"No, seriously, are you alright? Hey, Kita?!" Chihiro called, reaching for her arm again.

Upon hearing her name, Kita snapped from her trance and took a deep breath. It was then that she noticed Chihiro standing by her side, still holding onto her arm as if to keep her from running off into danger. Slowly, Kita's golden eyes began to harden once more as she began to focus solely on the human girl. Chihiro felt as if a hole were opening up in the middle of her soul. Even so, she didn't give in to Kita's terrifying stare.

"This doesn't make any sense," said Kita, rather harshly.

Chihiro tilted her head in confusion and released her grip. "What doesn't?"

Kita turned away from Chihiro and back down the corridor. "Her essence; I can't sense it. I don't understand this at all. Why is it that I can feel your human essences, but not her's?"

"You're right," said Akira, walking towards them. "I haven't been able to pick up her scent for a few hours now.

It was then that Chihiro realized that Kita wasn't actually starring at her—she was staring through her! She was trying to figure out if her senses were off because of her failure to detect Rena. She figured she'd test herself on another human. Sadly, Chihiro wasn't the best choice for her.

Chihiro held out her wrist. "My essence has been altered, remember? This band was made to protect me from any evil spirits seeking harm on humans. So those that don't know me won't realize I'm human. What you're sensing is just my fake essence. So what if, Rena's under a similar type of enchantment?"

Kita glanced at the school girl out of the corner of her eye before calling out to her other teammates. "If you two are done squabbling, we've got work to do."

"We weren't squabbling!" Akira retorted. "We were just having creative differences."

"When's the last time either of you were able to sense Rena?" Kita asked, completely ignoring Akira.

"I haven't felt her presence since early this morning," admitted Riku. "I never thought anything of it. I just figured Masaru enchanted the castle, or something."

"Or something," repeated Kita, with a slight head nod.

Riku carefully glanced between the empty hall, and Kita's tedious expression. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking there's a hidden enchanted chamber somewhere in this castle. If we can follow the trail of her scent, then we should be able to find it," she explained, glancing at Akira.

He nodded, "yep, following her scent would definitely do the trick."

Kita watched as Akira continued nodding and smiling. He seemed to be humming a tune to himself, almost as if he were passing the time while calmly waiting for someone. Kita rapidly began tapping her foot as she intimately glared at her teammate.

"Following her scent," Kita repeated with slight irritation.

"Uh-huh," he agreed. He seemed blissfully unaware of Kita's murderous stares.

"Damn it, wolf boy, get down on all fours and follow her scent!" she angrily demanded. Did she really have to spell it out to him?

A light bulb suddenly clicked in Akira's head. "Oh, right! I'm all over it!"

"You're a wolf spirit?" Chihiro marveled. "And all this time I thought you were a bear."

"A bear? Ha, no way! Bears have got nothing on me," he proclaimed, crouching down.

Chihiro watched in awe as Akira's thick black hair covered every inch of Akira's body. His large hands morphed into paws right before her eyes. A long snout extended from his furry face as a bushy tail sprang out of his backside. Akira let out a loud howl as his transformation came to an end. He was definitely larger than any wolf Chihiro had ever seen before. Akira was the size of a full size stallion.

"Good," said Kita, standing before him. Her hands were neatly folded behind her back. "Can you pick up her scent?"

Akira lowered his head and began eagerly sniffing away. He took a couple of steps forward before lifting his head and howling in confusion.

"This is going to be harder than we thought," said Riku, climbing onto Chihiro's shoulder. "But is it the right trail?"

"Riku, when did you change?" she asked.

He calmly licked his paw, "right after Akira. I figured I could help too, though his sense of smell is stronger than mine. But both of our senses become much stronger in our spirit forms."

Kita pointed at the whimpering wolf, "what's wrong with him?"

"It's Rena's scent. It extends to just about every inch of this castle," Riku answered.

"I don't understand."

"I think you were right about Rena being kept in an enchanted chamber or space. Well, whatever it is, it's causing her chamber to project to just about everywhere. Masaru must've created this space to protect the inhabitant inside of it. It's almost impossible to pick up any type of scent in all this mess. My head's pounding just trying to take all of this in."

"I see, so that's the trick." she nodded.

"Then what now?" asked Chihiro. "Which trail can we follow?"

Kita responded, as he stood beside Akira. He was still howling as he desperately tried to pick up on Rena's real scent. She gently placed her hand on his head to soothe him. "Listen to me, I know your senses are a little jumbled right now, but you have to do this. Somewhere in all this mess is the real scent. The rest were just duplicated by Masaru's enchantment, so they should smell slightly different than the original. I need to take a deep breath and concentrate. Can you do that for me, wolf boy?"

Akira took a calm breath before closing his eyes in concentration. The others waited quietly as Akira attempted to sort out all the false leads. Finally, after much waiting, he let out a loud howl.

"He says 'I think I found!'" Riku translated.

Akira took off down the misty hall followed by Kita. Chihiro quickly chased after as Riku continued clinging to her shoulder.

"I'm glad she's startin to come to her old self again," said Riku happily, watching Kita. Chihiro thought of asking about what Riku and Haku talked about. but decided it wasn't the right time.

"Why would Masaru even need to create such a thing for his own protection?" wondered Riku out loud again. "He's one of the strongest spirits around and hardly anyone ever messes with him. Do think he's paranoid deep down inside?"

But Chihiro firmly shook her head, "I don't think it was met for him."

"Oh? Then who would it be for?"

"It was for her," she grimly answered.

They followed behind Akira as he led the way to Rena's chamber. Chihiro did her best to keep up with Kita, but she wasn't nearly as fast as her. Still, Chihiro did her best to keep up with them. At least it was warmer now that they were away from that icy mist. The corridor reminded Chihiro of the basement level of the hotel they stayed at. The exact same bloodstained colored runner lined the hallway no matter how many corners they turned. The dimly lit lanterns that hung from the wooden beams in the ceiling didn't provide much atmosphere for the group.

Finally, Chihiro noticed Akira slowly down up front. Had they finally found the right spot? Is this where Rena was being held?

"He thinks she's behind this wall," said Riku to Kita. This must be where the enchantment is."

Akira tried to paw at the wall but was repelled back by a hidden force.

"Ow!" he yelped, switching his form. "Dude, not cool!"

"This is the right spot, alright. Good job, Akira," Riku praised. Kita nodded in agreement.

"Finding it was one thing. Getting in is a whole other problem," grumbled Akira. "Ugh, it's one thing after another."

"Should've known there'd be a barrier on the entrance," said Kita.

Chihiro slowly put her hand out towards the wall.

"Huh? No, Chihiro!" hollered Akira. "It'll just repel you back and—"

He was cut short as Chihiro safely put her hand against the wall. Riku, who was still holding onto Chihiro, was forced back. "I'm sorry, Riku.I didn't mean for that to happen. I was just curious to see if I'd be repelled too."

"Figures, you've still got that gift from the witch on you. I guess it still works," said Akira, examining the band dangling from Chihiro's wrist.

"No, that's not it," said Riku, converting to his humanoid form. "It's simply because she's a human. I think the spell only works against spirits, because humans aren't enough of a threat to Masaru. He probably didn't even think to block them."

Chihiro furrowed her brow. "Then why am I only able to touch the door? Why can't I enter?"

"I don't know," Riku admitted, throwing his arms up in the air. "But these types of enchantments are usually unique to the user."

"So, maybe Masaru set a password in order to open the enchanted room," Kita suggested.

"Password, huh?" Akira stroked his chin. "If I were Masaru, what would my password be?"

Chihiro removed her arm from the wall, "Hey, I think it might be—"

"Might be what?" echoed a voice.

The group turned to find Masaru, silently stalking behind him. His arms were neatly folded across his chest as he coldly glanced around at his intruders. A chill travelled up Chihiro's spine. How had he gotten so close to the group without them sensing him?

"M-Masaru! What are you doing here?" Akira demanded to know.

"That line belongs to me," spat. "This is my home."

Chihiro backed up against the wall as Kita stepped in front of her.

"Where's Kohaku?!" shouted Kita. "What did you do to him?"

"The boy? I left him sleeping in a ditch," he coolly answered. "I decided not to finish him off in that state. If he's any good, he'll be back."

"W-what? Haku!" cried out Chihiro, "Haku!"

Kita turned her head just in time to see Chihiro phase right through the wall. "What? But how?"

Masaru, Riku, and Akira were also surprised at the sight. Chihiro had somehow phased into Masaru's enchanted room.

"Chihiro!" shouted Akira.

Riku angrily turned to Masaru. "You did! You weren't satisfied with one human, so you had to trap another."

"I don't know what you're talking about. The girl passed through on her own. I had nothing to do with it. But if she were smart, she'd stay put. The barrier secures her safety—for now," he scoffed, as his body began glowing with power. "I'll deal with her later. Now, about you intruders….which one of you is responsible for that massive whole!"

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Chihiro tumbled back and landed on the hard wooden floor. She closed her eyes as she cringed in pain. She was so tired of injuring her back! She slowly sat up and stared at the wall. How had she managed to pass through without saying a password or unlocking it somehow? And what about Haku? Was he alright? She didn't want to be stuck behind some barrier while Haku was lying somewhere unconscious.

"Chihiro?" She heard a familiar voice call out.

Chihiro slowly turned around and to see Rena, sitting on an enormous bed. Her hair and make-up may have been a mess, but it was definitely her. A look of disbelief spread across Rena's pale face as she stepped off the bed and into her shoes.

"Rena," Chihiro answered, rising to her feet. She gingerly brushed some dirt off her faded blue jeans.

"What are you doing here?" Rena asked.

What was she doing there? Chihiro looked into Rena's eyes after what seemed like forever. Her she was, trapped in a room with her least favorite person in the world. This was the girl who tormented her endlessly for no reason at all. Chihiro had managed to suppress her negative feelings for Rena in order to do what was right. But now that she finally saw her again, all of those horrible feelings came rushing back. Part of her wanted to turn around and leave Rena to her doom. And yet….

"I'm here to save you," said Chihiro, calmly.

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><p><strong>Finally, after like...idk 10 chapters or so, Chihiro and Rena meet again! Dun...dun...dun! <strong>


	15. The Power of Words

**Omg, did Heart-fracture finally update her story! Hello readers! I'm back! I'm so sorry for disappearing on you for like 2 months! Stuff just kept getting in the way! But, I'll TRY not to let it happen again! This chapter is much longer than the previous chaps because, well, sh*t happens...but something tells me you guys won't mind. AT ALL. Again, I'm really sorry about leaving you guys hanging at a really crucial part...but, I think you guys will like this chapter a lot. But then again, it is just a hunch. :)**

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><p>"How did I get here?" wondered Haku, standing at the gapping mouth of a large tunnel. A hollow wind tugged at his clothing as it drew into the tunnel. "This is the entrance to the human world. But how am I able to get so to it? This makes no sense."<p>

"Must everything make perfect sense for you to understand?" rang a voice behind him.

Startled, Haku spun around and nearly stumbled backwards. Standing before him was none other than Chihiro.

"Where'd you come from?!" He barked. He hadn't even sensed her presence.

She pointed over his shoulder. "Through there."

"Yes, I know that," said Haku with a frown. "But, how did you get here in this exact spot?"

"It doesn't matter now because I'm leaving," she answered, moving towards the tunnel. "I'm going back."

He quickly latched on to her forearm. "Wait, you can't go!"

"Why not? Aren't you the one who told me to go? Isn't this what you wanted?" she questioned, peering over her shoulder.

"We haven't even finished the rescue mission yet,"

Chihiro angrily turned to face the young dragon spirit. "The mission? Don't you care about anything else?"

"How can you even ask me something like that?" He shot back at her. "I care about your safety. That's why I want you to return to your own world. It isn't safe here."

"My safety goes hand and hand with your mission. Try again."

Haku glared at the girl. "It's my personal mission to keep you safe!"

"That's not enough,"

"What do you want me to say, Chihiro?!" He lashed out.

"I want you to tell me how you really feel about me," she softly replied. "And I want you to be honest."

Haku slowly turned away from her, "….No."

"But Haku—"

"Haven't I already shown you my true feelings? Don't actions speak louder than words?" He said.

"I heard what you said to Masaru," she freely admitted. "You called me your love."

Haku turned back at her, stunned that she'd overheard such a thing, but he still remained silent. Chihiro placed her hands in his and longingly stared into his eyes.

"Say it to my face," she quietly pleaded. "Call me your love."

"Chihiro, I can't….."

Tears began welling in Chihiro's chocolate brown eyes. "But why?"

"Because, it only makes everything harder," he explained, embracing the crying girl. "If I tell you how I really feel, then it will only make our inevitable separation much harder. I don't want to lose you again, but I know I have to. And it wouldn't be fair to ask you to stay here with me. I don't want to make this any harder for you either. So please, don't make me say it to you…"

She brought her face closer to his, "when I leave, I may never see you again. This may be your one and only chance. Wouldn't you rather take it?"

"Chihiro…."

Just as their lips were about to touch, Haku heard the sounds of murmurs echoing all around him. The world around Haku began to melt into pitch darkness.

"Is he dead?" he heard a voice say.

"Maybe. He did drop down from the sky," said another voice, possibly female. "Maybe we should poke him with a stick."

"What we can't poke him with a stick! What if he wakes up and comes after us!"

When Haku opened his eyes again, his body was immediately filled with pain. Though his vision was blurry, he could make out 2 small figures kneeling down beside him. They were 2 young forest spirits.

"Hey look," said the girl. "He's waking up."

"Oh you're right! Guess he's not dead after all," the boy replied.

Haku slowly sat up. A shot of pain ran up and down his spine. "What happened? Where's Chihiro?"

The kids exchanged confused glances.

"We don't know anyone named Chihiro. We just found you laying here in this crater," the boy replied. "We figured you fell from the sky or something."

"Fell from the sky," Haku muttered to himself. Be eventually began to recall his memories of the previous battle. "Masaru! He's on his way back to the castle! I have to get there before him and save Chihiro! Wait….Chihiro?!"

He jumped to his feet and dashed away from the kids. _'I'm coming Chihiro!'_

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"Ah, yes. I can feel my newfound powers surging through my veins," boasted Tatsuo. "It won't be long before they completely return, and I can begin to reestablish myself."

Tatsuo stood in the grassy plain, facing the village surrounding the dead river. He studied his surroundings and took note of which buildings were new. Meanwhile, his 3 young hostages were struggling to cross the dried up river bed. Because Reiji was still out of commission, he still needed to be transported by Shin. Naomi spotted from behind to make sure neither of them fell backward while walking up the hill. Tatsuo frowned back at the trio.

"Must you be so slow?" he scoffed.

"Look, we're going as fast as we can!" Naomi shot back.

"What do you plan on doing here anyway?" wondered Shin, still lugging Reiji's half conscious body.

But Tatsuo ignored the boy and continued pressing forward. Naomi frowned and muttered something vulgar under her breath as they reluctantly followed him. Why was he even bothering to keep them around? He already got what he wanted from Naomi. Was there really a reason for keeping them alive? Not that anyone was complaining about his decision.

After wondering in silence, Tatsuo came to a screeching halt and stared across the horizon. Naomi, who was walking directly behind him, slammed into the back of him.

"What? What's wrong now?" she demanded to know.

A devious smiled played across his face. "Well now, it appears things aren't quiet as different as I initially thought. I'm picking up on a very familiar vibe beyond these hills."

"Eh? What are you—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a surge of wind began circulating around the group. Naomi quickly latched onto Shin's arm as she tried to make sense of what was happening. But everything soon became clear once they heard Tatsuo's mechanical laughter booming over the violent wind.

"I almost forgot how exhilarating it is to use my full power," he sneered, with his arms outreached to the sky. "This is absolutely wonderful!"

"What are you doing?! Stop!" Shin shouted over the wind.

Tatsuo cocked an eye over his shoulder. "Why stop when I've only just begun?"

A Translucent orb of energy slowly began to form around them. Shin and Naomi had no choice but to move closer to the demon spirit.

"Going up," said Tatuso with an evil grin.

Suddenly, the orb shot up into the heavens and zoomed through the skies. Naomi, Shin, and Reiji slammed down to the bottom of the orb. Naomi placed her palms on the inner walls of the strange energy fear. It felt incredibly cold to the touch. Its smooth surface made her think of a giant marble floor.

"What the hell was that?!" she lashed out after getting over her initial amazement.

"Oh, just relax and enjoy the beautiful view. It isn't everyday a human gets the privilege of visiting the Spirit Realm," said Tatsou. He turned his head slightly and raised a single eyebrow. "Or is it?"

Before she could retaliate, Naomi looked down through the glass like floor of the sphere and was nearly blown away. Tatsuo had been right about the view. Under the sunset, the grassy plains took on a delightful turquois color. She could see tiny dots, which she assumed to be spirits, moving about down below them. They reminded her of fish swimming through an ocean. She looked out directly ahead of her and watched as they rapidly approached the heart of the town. She could see smoke coming from a chimney in the distance. It was strange that that one particular building was the only one with any activity. From what she could tell, there weren't any other signs of life coming from the surrounding town. Not a single light came from any of the windows. But who would be sleeping at this time of day.

Naomi suddenly gasped, "That's it! That's the bathhouse Chihiro was forced to work in! Shin, look!"

Shin, who had laid Reiji down carefully beside him, was sitting cross legged with his eyes closed.

"We're a hundred stories off the ground," he calmly remarked. "I'm not opening my eyes until we reach the ground."

She rolled her eyes as she turned away from him. " Tatsuo, you're taking us to the witch of the bathhouse, aren't you?"

He laughed. "Why? Is that what you want?"

Would he really give them to Yubaba? She'd heard about the witch's horrors from Chihiro. She was a very dangerous and powerful witch with a hatred for humans. Would she kill them all on sight? Naomi icily glared at her captor from behind and slowly glanced down at Reiji. In her mind, Yubaba was a much better option than Tatsuo. Afterall, she wasn't the one who beat up her friend. Naomi gently stroked Reiji's bruised cheek. At that moment, his eye lids began to flutter and his breathing slowly increased.

"Naomi…." she heard him whisper. "You're okay."

"Well, duh. I'm not the one who had the life beaten out of him, you dummy," she lightly teased him.

His eyes partially peered open. "I'm….sorry."

"Okay, first you call me pretty, then you apologize to me? I think all the sense was beaten out of you. Poor guy."

"At school…..couldn't let them…. and I…I'm just glad you're okay…." He strained to speak in between breaths.

"Reiji, just be quiet. Talking will just make you feel worse," she said, a little worried.

"The men….in the black car. Saw them in the hall…before last period. They were….looking for you…..Naomi. I heard them… say your name." he continued. "I….had…..to stay."

Naomi felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. "You said you stayed after to help the teacher!"

"I stayed…..to protect you. But I failed. Naomi…I'm sorry," water welled in his eyes and he quietly loss consciousness.

"So you finally heard, huh?" Tatsuo jeered. "That's some boy you've got there. The fact that he was willing to take a beating for you truly amazes me. Humans are interesting creatures."

"You bastard scum! I'll kill you for this!" she screeched.

"What's it matter to you anyway?" he questioned. "From what I understand, you constantly treated him like dirt. "So why does it matter what I did to him? Better him than you, right?"

"I did not!" she shot back.

"Naomi," Shin advised to her. "Don't let him get to you."

She looked back down at her battered friend and tenderly wiped the tears away from his eyes. Why would he do something like this for her? Nothing made any sense to her.

"Why's everything so quiet all of the sudden? Have you nothing more to discuss?" Said Tatsuo, attempting to provoke the teens.

He frowned in disappointment when no one took his bait. "No matter, we've reached our destination. Time sure does fly when you're having fun."

The spirit orb finally landed in front of a large red bridge leading to the bathhouse. Naomi watched as the ball literally disappeared before her eyes. She could once again feel the wind across her face. It felt good to be on the ground again.

"You there!" shouted a large frog spirit from the entrance to the bathhouse. "Go back! The bathhouse hasn't opened up yet."

But Tatsuo trudged forward as if he hadn't even heard him. Naomi helped place Reiji on Shin's back and they quickly followed pursuit. The spirit angrily began stomping in place as if to make his words clearer.

"I said to go back! We're not open yet! Do not come any closer!"

Again, Tatsuo edged forward.

"That does it!" shouted the frog. "I'll make you go back!"

He came charging at Tatsuo at full speed. He was running so fast, his drooping lips began to sail behind him. He was determined to turn Tatsuo and his crew back.

"Stop," Tatsuo firmly commanded.

The frog spirit suddenly came screeching to a stop and toppled over in front of Tatsuo.

"Stand," Tatsuo said with a smug.

The spirit immediately hopped to his feet and stood at attention.

"Wh-what's going on?" whimpered the spirit. "How are you controlling me? I don't under—"

"Shut-up,"

He instantly slammed his mouth shut. Shin and Naomi watched with complete horror.

"He could definitely afford to skip a few meals," snorted Tatsuo. "Don't you agree?"

Naomi felt goose bumps rising on her skin. Just how much power did he have?

"5000 jumping jacks." ordered Tatsuo, moving past the spirit with his group. "Go!"

The spirit panted heavily as he was forced to carry out Tatsuo's cruel order of 5000 jumping jacks. Naomi sympathetically looked back at the poor creature and watched as his large body hopped up over and over again. She knew he'd never make it to 5000. He'd be dead way before that.

"It feels so great to have my full power back," Tatuso happily expressed. "Living without it was almost impossible."

"You're a monster," spat Naomi.

"How correct you are," he replied, approaching the large Bathhouse entrance. "And I think it's time everyone knew that."

A black ball of energy formed in his hands and the air surrounding them began whirling again. Tatsuo released the ball of energy and blasted down the front door of the bathhouse. The sudden explosion caused a huge uproar from all the workers. Tatsuo could hear their frantic panics coming from within as the smoke and dust from the explosion began to clear.

"What's going on?"

"We need to evacuate the building now!"

"Someone call Yubaba!"

With all the panicking, Tatsuo and the others went unnoticed at first. The noise soon grew to annoy Tatsuo and he swiftly began calling order.

"Everyone, stop!" he shouted.

Every single one of the frantic workers froze, just as the guard frog spirit did.

"What's happening? Why'd I suddenly stop running?"

"Who are you? Are you the one responsible for this?"

"Me? I'm the new ruler of this bathhouse," Tatsuo proclaimed. "And you will all do as I say."

"Yubaba will destroy him for sure!"

"Yubaba's powers pale in comparison to mine," he bragged. "So, I'm afraid that just isn't going to happen."

"Wanna bet, sonny?" echoed a voice.

Yubaba, who was watching from above, dropped down in front of Tatsuo. "You've got some nerve showing up to my establishment causing damages! Just who do you think you are?! You know what, I don't care who you are! You just better be prepared to pay for the repairs or I'll turn you into a lump of coal and feed you to the furnaces personally!"

Tatsuo folded his arms across his chest. "You really don't recognize me, do you? I suppose it has been a few centuries since I was last hear. Everything's different and yet the same. Here, I'll give you a hint. SPEAK!

Every worker within range suddenly began to scream in perfect unison. "HE IS THE GREAT LORD TATSUO, COME TO TAKE HIS REVENGE!"

Yubaba's bubble eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. "T-Tatsuo? But that can't be! You disappeared out of this dimension. How could you have returned?"

"These children gave me a safe passage. They're friends with a former worker of yours. What was here name again? Ah yes, Sen."

"Sen!" She gritted. "That foolish girl! How could she do something like this! I should've destroyed her when I had the chance to."

"I wouldn't worry too much about her, if I were you. Did you hear your workers? I'm here to extract my revenge," he explained.

"Revenge? But I wasn't the one who defeated you!" he fired back.

"No, but I do remember you being on the enemy's team. You offered him aid,"

But she shook her head, "but it was nothing against you personally. You were driving all my customers away with your array of evil! It was strictly a business move!"

"You always were in it for themoney," he commented, lowering his voice.

"Yes, exactly!" said Yubaba. "So, I'm off the hook?"

Tatsuo smiled at the elderly witch. "Not quite."

He suddenly grabbed opened up his palm and blew a strange yellow dust into her face. Yubaba coughed as she tried to blow it away from her face. With each deep cough, her body shrunk about 5 inches. She continued coughing until she finally stopped shrinking. Naomi stared down at the tiny little witch.

"How dare you do this! Return me to my normal size right now!" She threatened in her tiny voice.

"Why don't you just do it yourself?" he questioned, bending down to pluck her off the floor. "You are an almighty powerful witch, are you not?"

She glared at him from the palm of his hand, but stayed silent.

"Your magic isn't strong enough to break my spell is it?" he taunted her. "Then it's settled. I'm the new ruler of this bathhouse."

"You there," he shouted to a nearby worker. "Get over here."

The worker quickly ran towards him without hesitation.

"Take this and put it in a glass," he said, handing over Yubaba.

` "I'm not through with you yet, Tatsuo! Do you hear me! I will get even! Don't you dare touch my bathhouse!" her squeaky voice threatened as she was carried away.

Tatsuo walked further into the bathhouse to observe the workers a little closely. All of them peered at him with fear in their eyes. Tatsuo looked to the multilevels of the bathhouse and found more fearful eyes peering down at him. But one particular pair of eyes stood out. Instead of fear being reflected, he saw pure rage. A tall brunette young woman peered down at him from the 5th level.

"And what's this?" he wondered, with his interest clearly peaked. He quickly zoomed up towards her. "What's your name, Miss?"

"What's it to you?" she spat back at him.

"I see you have a strong personality," he commented, hovering in front of her. "Those types are much harder to control."

"I've heard about you. If you think you're gonna pull one other me, then you've got another thing coming mister!" she told him.

"I see. Well, unfortunately for you, I will be pulling one other on you. As you say it. Now, I believe I asked you for your name," he said. "Speak now."

The muscles in her face strained as she tried to keep her mouth from opening.

"Speak!" he barked.

Finally, after much exhaustion, the girl broke. "L-Lin!"

"Lin," he mused. "A pretty name for a pretty face. And hearing you say that is like music to my ears."

She glared at him with contempt as she broke out into a cold sweat. "The Guardians will take care of you for sure."

"Guardians? So, the Spirit World has its own police system now? That's certainly new," he said. "Lin, do me a favor, would you? Go and attend to that human boy's wounds. He's badly injured, you see."

She remained firmly in place as she stared Tatsuo squarely in the eye.

"Unless you want me to use force again," he said, delicately stroking her chin. "You don't want that, now do you."

Lin swung her fist and just missed Tatsuo by an inch. "Keep your mits off me!"

She angrily stormed off to the nearest elevator. Tatsuo carefully watched after to her to make sure that she was doing as told.

"Now then, the rest of you are to clean up this mess. I believe the next shipment of clients is due soon. And that means more potential victims for my control," he ordered.

_'He made all that fuss about getting here, and he hasn't even done much. All he's done is take over the witches bathhouse. But how is this supposed to help him get revenge? What's he planning?' _Naomi thought.

As everyone began moving around her, Naomi kept her eyes focused on Tatsuo. There was something off about him all of the sudden. His movements seemed a bit, slower.

_'That girl, Lin. I'm almost sure she was mentioned by Chihiro. Tatsuo had trouble controlling her. And he even said himself that stronger personalities are harder to manipulate. Could it also be physically straining for him? If that's the case, I may have found his weakness!'_

"You guys, come with me," said a voice. Lin was standing beside them with her hands on her hips. The vein in her forehead was practically popping out. "And bring the broken one with you.

As the humans were led away, Tatsuo gleamed._ 'This is perfect. Everything's almost in place. The sooner that bastard gets here, the better.'_

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"Did you just say you were here to save me?" asked Rena.

Chihiro nodded her head. "Yes, a few friends of mine are outside the door right now. We came all this way to rescue you."

Rena stared Chihiro square in the eye. "But, I don't…understand. Why would…How'd you even get to this world?!"

"It's a very long story," Chihiro answered. "I'm guessing you didn't flip through my notebook before you destroyed it."

"Well I meant to, but I got distracted by something," said Rena smoothing out her hair.

"I'm sure," said Chihiro with another head nod.

Chihiro fiddled with her thumbs and awkwardly looked up at Rena. What was taking the others so long?!

"These friends of yours, are they spirits?" asked Rena.

Chihiro nodded. "Yes, they're a special elite group called the Guardians. They agreed to help me save you from Masaru. They're actually fighting with him right now."

"But, I still don't understand something," wondered Rena. "Why are you here?"

"I just told you. I'm here to save you."

"I know, but why? Why would you come save me of all people? You even tried to come back for me after I tripped in the hallway back at the hotel," she explained.

Chihiro tilted her head. "Did I? I don't remember. Sorry, things have been a little hectic lately."

"You're telling me? I've been stuck in this strange world for days now. My family is probably worried sick."

Chihiro leaned up against the wall and lowered her head to avoid direct eye contact. "Well, I'm here now. You don't need to worry anymore."

"Great," Rena exclaimed, running over to the door. "Then let's get out of this place."

"Uh, we may have a small problem," said Chihiro. "I don't exactly know how to get out."

Rena's face instantly dropped. "What do you mean you don't know how to get out? Then how'd you get in here?"

"Again, I don't really know. I just happened to phase through the door as I was leaning on it," said Chihiro, placing her hand on the door. "That's all I did."

"Then how are you supposed to save me if you're trapped with me! I don't believe this!" Rena snapped.

Chihiro felt her heart racing. "I don't know!"

"You don't know! Damn it, why'd you come here in the first place if you were just gonna screw everything up?!" Rena scoffed, slamming her fist against the wall.

"I told you, I don't know how I got through. It just sorta happened," said Chihiro softly.

"And there you go again with that annoyingly passive attitude. I didn't even hear you! Ugh, speak up already! I'm standing right next to you and I can't hear you."

Chihiro lifted her head and looked Rena squarely in the eye, "shut-up….."

"Ugh, still can't hear you!"

"I said shut the hell up, you inconsiderate bitch!" Chihiro shouted at the top of her lungs.

Rena's mouth hung open with surprised as she stared at Chihiro. Was this the same girl that she'd known for all these years? A look of pure rage burned in Chihiro's once gentle brown eyes.

"Did you hear me that time, or should I say it louder?" Chihiro icily questioned.

Rena was in such a state of shock that she barely reacted when Chihiro pushed her against the wall.

"You've done your talking; now it's my turn. So shut-up and listen!" She threatened. "I went through hell to save your ass, and this is how you repay me?! You know, I was hounded by the police over your disappearance nonstop! I, myself, haven't got much sleep sine the incident either! The decision to come to this world and save you from Masaru was entirely mine. Not anyone else's! Naomi tried to talk me out of! Hell, even my spirit friends don't entirely understand why I'd risk my life to save someone like you! What normal person would try to help the one who constantly makes their life miserable?! But I didn't listen to anyone because I knew I was the only one who could save you! And, might I add, it's really all your fault you ended up here anyway! If I didn't step up, you'd be stuck here forever! Who's honestly gonna believe that you were spirited away by an angry god?! The police would've eventually left me alone and Rena Sayumi would become nothing more than a memory! But I didn't want that to happen! No, I _couldn't _let that happen! And that's why I'm here today! I don't care what you say or do to me at this point because it won't even affect me anymore! In fact, I think I'm completely numb to your existence! But I _will _save you from this world no matter what! This is what I came to do! This may not be a perfect rescue but be glad you have one! So just shut-up and listen to me because right now I'm all you have!"

Chihiro released Rena from her grip and backed away. Rena slid down the wall and tucked her head into her knees.

"Even after everything, you'll still save me?" Whimpered Rena's muffled voice. "I don't understand why you'd want to. Even after everything I've done to you?"

"You may have been cruel to me, but that doesn't mean I have to behave the same way to you," Chihiro replied. "I just hope you remember this someday."

Rena looked into Chihiro's stern eyes. There was something different about them. They seemed much stronger than before. Or maybe this was just the first time she'd ever looked Chihiro in the eye. Rena had always looked down on her before. She had no reason to see her as an equal. But now, things were much different.

"I'm….I'm sorry," Rena softly whispered. "I….I shouldn't have.."

"I know," Chihiro answered.

The two girls awkwardly turned away from each other and stood in complete silence. Rena was still struggling to take in Chihiro's fiery words. Chihiro, on the other hand, was desperately trying to think of a way out of the current situation. She moved past Rena and placed her palm against the wall. She closed her eyes and imagined herself phasing through the door. After a few moments of trying, she peaked open her eyes and found Rena staring at her.

"Uh, what are you doing?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Trying to find a way out," Chihiro gingerly responded. "I don't know how I got in, remember? I did something, but I'm just not sure what. Did you notice Masaru doing anything?"

Rena shook her head. "Nothing in particular."

Chihiro sighed as she removed her hand from the wall and thought of other options.

"But he isn't what I expected," Rena continued.

Chihiro turned back to Rena. Her interest had definitely been peaked. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"He doesn't seem like a wrathful spirit at all," she explained. "There's something gloomy about the way he walks around here. Almost like there's something bothering him."

"Like he's missing someone?" Chihiro questioned.

Rena nodded. "Exactly."

"Ayako," Chihiro whispered.

"Ayako? Who's that?"

"Masaru's wife," Chihiro said. "She was killed years ago by an evil spirit. Her death changed him forever. It hardened his heart."

"Not completely. He had the chance to kill me, but he didn't. Not even when I asked him to. He even fed me to keep me from disappearing," said Rena. "He still has some humanity left."

"How can you have humanity if you aren't even human?" said Chihiro with a slight smile.

Rena giggled, "You know what I meant."

_'This is weird_. _We're being friendly with each other. Must….get out….of this room!' thought Chihiro _refocusing her attention back on the door. _'Now, how did I get in here. What did I do? I remember talking with Kita, Akira, and Riku about finding a way in to the enchantment room. I had my back against the wall. But I don't remember exactly what I said. I was too worried about Haku's battle with Masaru.'_

Chihiro suddenly looked up with a new realization. "Haku!"

"Haku? Why do you keep randomly shouting names out?" wondered Rena, cocking her head to the side.

Chihiro slowly moved her hand up against the wall and watched with amazement as it phased right through it. Rena's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as Chihiro's arm began to disappear further into the wall.

"How are you doing that?" she questioned.

_"_So I was right!_" _exclaimed Chihiro. "This is why I was able to phase in here the first time. It's because I was thinking about him."

"Who? This Haku guy?" said Rena.

Chihiro nodded, "I think I understand how I got in here now."

"Then if you'd like to explain it to me, that'd be great," said Rena.

"This is Masaru's personal room. And that's the reason he put this enchantment around it—to protect him! I originally thought there was some sort of password to get inside. But I don't think that was it."

"Again, if you'd like to share, that'd be awesome!"

Chihiro drew her arm out of the wall. "This may sound a little corny, but I think in order to get reach this room, your soul needs to match in frequency with this enchantment."

Rena raised an eyebrow, "and you think you somehow matched your soul to this enchantment? How?"

"Because I was thinking about Haku before I phased in here," she explained. "I'm always thinking of him, just as Masaru's always thinking of Ayako."

"So is Haku your boyfriend, or something?"

"Uh, well, no. He's more like a guy I haven't stopped thinking about since I was 10 years old," she explained. "There's definitely something between us, but nothing official. Again, you'd know that if you'd read the book instead of burning it!"

Rena sighed, "I said I was sorry. How many times do I have to say it! You're making me feel worse."

"We don't have time for that right now," said Chihiro firmly. "Quickly, think of the one you love."

Rena looked down, "I don't have one of those."

"An ex-boyfriend you still have lingering feelings for?"

Rena shook her head.

"Child hood romance?"

Again, Rena shook her head. "I've never been in love with anyone. Goodness Chihiro, I'm only 15! We can't all be as lucky as you!"

"Right then," Chihiro responded.

"Then what now? How do I get out of here?"

"Since I know what kind of enchantment it is, I can tell the others. They should be able to break the enchantment," she explained, slipping through the wall. "Don't worry, I'll be right back."

"Don't forget me!" Rena called after her.

Chihiro found herself once again in the icy halls of Masaru's castle. Yet there was something different this time. The air was surprisingly warm and there wasn't a single person around. Chihiro ran through the halls hollering the names of his friends. But she received no answers. Where had everyone gone? Had they moved the battle elsewhere? It must've been at least 10 minutes before she finally stopped and came toward the gapping in the hole in the wall caused by Kita. She was shocked to discover that all the fog had lifted. She could see the sun sinking into the western hills clear as day.

"Masaru lifted his barrier? But why would he do that?" Chihiro wondered out loud. She climbed over the large pile of rubble. "Something's definitely wrong."

Suddenly, she saw something shooting towards her in the distance. Was it one of her friends? She squinted her eyes as she struggled to focus. Who was that?

Her face lit up with excitement when she discovered who it was. "Haku!"

He was flying in his human form as opposed to his true form. She waved her arms in the air like a maniac to flag him down. Not that he needed her help with that anyway. She suddenly dropped her arms.

_'What if he's mad at me for leaving the group on my own,' she thought. 'He was already upset with me before. But maybe I can finally prove to him that I know how to hold my own here. If I can just explain that to him, then maybe he won't be so angry.'_

She calmly waited as Haku rapidly approached her. She rehearsed the words she wanted to say to him over and over again in her mind. Finally, Haku landed directly in front of her. A scorned expression replaced his usual stoic face. Chihiro, still a little shaken by his new look, didn't let it get to her.

She could make her face look just as menacing as his. "Listen Haku, I know you're mad but I really—"

Before she could complete her sentence, Haku grabbed her Chin and tilted it up. Chihiro stared up into his soft, sea-green eyes with confusion. Just a second ago, they were full of anger.

"…..Haku," she whispered.

"I swear on my life that I will kill the next person who interrupts me," he threatened with an icy tone.

Haku tenderly cupped Chihiro's face in his hands and gently pressed his lips against hers. Chihiro was in such shock, she could barely make sense of what was happening. For that one moment, everything seemed to just stop. Nothing else really mattered to her and she finally stopped trying to make sense of things. She parted her lips and wrapped her arms around his frame, drawing him closer to her. The tender touch of his warm lips against hers nearly drove her wild. How long had she dreamt of this special moment? She was literally having a dream come true. When he pulled away, she was once again met by his sparkling eyes. Haku swiftly swept the loose hair off her face and tucked it behind her face. Chihiro blushed slightly and turned away from him. But he softly moved her head back to face him again.

"I love you, Chihiro Ogino. I always have, and I always will. Nothing you do can ever change that," he expressed.

She smiled and caved into his arms. "I love you too, Nigihayami Kohakunushi."


	16. A Dangerous Preparation

**Hey guys, look who's still alive! Up top, anyone...anyone? No? Okay :(**

**Sorry for leaving you guys hanging...again! Gah, I just keep getting caught up in so much stuff! Anyway, here's your new chapter! This chapter is dedicated to Ialiceiamagodness because I she messaged me back in March asking about my next update. And I told her I'd try to post it up within the next week. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to post it at that time. So, Ialiceiamagodness, this chapter is dedicated to you! Sorry about the delay!**

* * *

><p>"Hey, sleeping ugly, wake-up," commanded a dry, yet calm, voice.<p>

Reiji's eyelids quietly fluttered as he felt warm sunlight graze the side of his face. He murmured a few incoherent words, before turning over on his side and snuggling into his futon.

"No, I said wake up." the voice was much more forceful this time.

"Go…away," Reiji managed to say.

"Reiji, you have 5 seconds to get up," the voice threatened. "If you're not up within those 5 seconds, I'm dousing you in freezing cold water." The voice paused for a brief moment. "On second thought, don't get up. I'm gonna douse you anyway."

Reiji immediately flipped back over on his back and found a shadowy figure hovering over him. Obviously, he wasn't able to make out any of it's features. His vision slowly began to return to him as he gently rubbed at his eyes.

"N-Naomi?" he whispered, siting up in bed.

The voice didn't respond to him. When Reiji was finished rubbing his eyes, he looked up to find two brown eyes glaring back at him. These eyes, full of aggravation and anger, did not belong to Naomi. Instead, Reiji found himself face to face with Shin Ikeda.

"Shin? What are you doing here?" asked Reiji, glancing around the infirmary for anyone else.

There were rows and rows of empty futons spread across the entire room. Shin's was the one closets to the partially open balcony. He wondered if there was anyone else out there.

"Same as you," he responded. "I was dragged into this situation by a certain girl we both know. Don't you remember?"

Reiji winched a little from the iciness of his tone. Why was Shin acting to strange? He's usually incredibly laid back. But something seemed to be bothering him.

"Uh, yeah. I sorta remember," he said. "I guess I've been out of it for a while, huh?"

Shin stared down at Reiji's chest. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel much better actually. I don't know what those Spirits did to me, but it worked!" he said with a smile, trying to warm up the icy environment.

Shin nodded. "I thought so. They used some weird water spirit medicine on you. At least, that's what I was told. I'm not really sure what they did to you. I wasn't in the room when it happened."

"My mind's still a little fuzzy. What exactly is going on? I remember all of us being captured by Tatsuo and brought here. But, what happened afterwards?" he asked.

"Tatsuo put all of his bathhouse workers under his control and that's it for right now."

"Wait, what are you wearing?" Reiji asked, pointing out Shin's white bath workers uniform.

"You're wearing one too," Shin fire back. "Didn't you realize it?"

"Huh?" He gasped, throwing off his blanket. Shin was right? He was also wearing one. "When did that happen?"

"I don't know. I wasn't in the room, remember?" Shin slyly responded.

Reiji suddenly thought of something. "Hey, where's Naomi?"

Shin's face slightly hardened. "She's with Tatuso."

"She's with him?!" Reiji hissed.

"He said he needed a personal assistant. So he chose her a long with that girl, Lin."

"But why would you just let her go with him?"

"Naomi actually wanted to stay close to him," Shin snapped. "She said she might be able to discover his weakness this way. But I'm not so sure. There was nothing I could do to stop him from taking her."

"So where are they now?" asked Reiji.

"In the former bathhouse owner's office. He plans on opening the bathhouse tonight," Shin explained. "So the rest of the workers are busy making preparations."

"Strange move. He's got his full power back. You'd think he'd go on a psychotic rampage or something, not continue the business," Reiji mused.

"Ugh, keep up with me, peasant!" Shin frowned, "Tatsuo is planning on opening the bathhouse tonight as usual. Then, when all of the customers for the evening have arrived, he'll take control of them too. This place is supposedly one of the best spots in the entire realm. I'm sure it attracts all kinds of powerful spirits. Can you imagine if he gained control over all of those spirits? It'll be a disaster."

"And Chihiro and Rena are still out there somewhere. They could get caught in the crossfire," Reiji said. "So what do you think we should do?"

Shin shrugged, "I'm not sure yet. Some of the workers have faith in a band of heros called, The Guardians. Chihiro's friend is supposedly a member of them. They say they're powerful…"

"But?"

"But others just say they're a bunch of self-righteous buffoons who appointed themselves as Spirit World defenders. I'm not sure who to believe, "Shin stood up and took a long stretch.

"So, were basically screwed?"

"For now all we can do is wait and see how this all plays out," said Shin with a deep sigh. He immediately plopped back down next to Reiji. A deep scorn spread across his face. "Now, on a completely unrelated subject, there's something I need to ask you."

"Uh….okay?" said Reiji, a little worried. "What's up?"

"Are you into my sister?"

Reiji's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he frantically began coughing.

"What are you choking on, Reiji? An air sandwich with a tall glass of bullshit?" Shin darkly questioned, as he cocked his head to the side.

"It's just that, your question just took me by surprise," he stammered. "That's such a random question!"

"A random question that you're trying to avoid like the plauge. Now answer it,"

"Don't you think this creating an awkward situation?" Reiji wondered.

Shin's left eye twitched. "Awkward? I'll tell you what's awkward! Being forced to listen to some guy call out your sister's name in his sleep!"

Reiji tried to avoid looking a little flustered. "I…really called her name out in my sleep?"

"11 times! That's right, I counted! I couldn't take it anymore. That's why I woke you up," He shouted. "And then there's all the mushy things you kept saying to her when you were out of it."

"What mushy things?"

Shin was on the verge of breaking. "Things like, 'Naomi, you're really pretty' or 'you smell good!' Look, I'm not an overprotective brother, but you're making me a little uncomfortable!"

"I said that to her? Gah, I feel like an idiot! She probably laughed right in my face!" sighed Reiji.

"She didn't," responded Shin.

"She didn't?"

Shin firmly shook his head. "No. Especially when you told her that you were nearly beaten to a pulp protecting her."

Reiji looked away from Shin. "I told her? I didn't want her to know about that. Now she'll think I'm some weakling."

"Why do you care what she thinks, you don't like her anyway. Right?"

Reiji took a deep breath before glancing back at Shin.

"If I say I do, are you gonna to kill me?"

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"Uh, not that I'm complaining," said Chihiro, blushing slightly, "but what exactly brought this on? I mean, you literally just came out of nowhere with this."

"The way I treated you before was unfair, and for that I apologize. I had no right to say any of those things to you," Haku responded.

A gentle breeze blew across the valley and lightly tugged on the couples clothing. Chihiro elegantly tucked some loose strands of her ear behind her ear as she shyly looked up at her beloved.

"You were just concerned for my safety."

"But that didn't make it fair for me to hurt you. If I could take back what I said to you, I'd do it in a heartbeat," he explained. "I was afraid of admitting my true feelings to you because I know that you need to return to your world. I didn't want to take a huge risk by pouring out my emotions. But I'm not afraid of that anymore. You're worth the risk, Chihiro. I want to spend every day of the rest of my life with you."

"Really?" she asked, growing a bit teary eyed.

Haku clasped Chihiro's hands in his. "Really."

"But how can we be together? You're a powerful dragon and spirit and I'm just an ordinary human."

"I'm not entirely sure yet either. But there must be a way. There just has to be. We'll be together in the end. You'll see. And if you can't stay here, then I'll just have to force myself through the barrier and cross the river."

Chihiro smiled and nuzzled her head into Haku's chest. "Okay, I trust you."

"Now that that's settled," said Haku wrapping his arms around Chihiro. "Where is everyone?"

Chihiro quickly pulled away and stared him in the eye. "You mean you don't know either?"

"I just arrived here. Why would I have any information on any of the events that just transpired?"

"Well they were all here when I accidentally trapped myself the sealed room," she explained.

"Sealed room?"

She nodded, "Yeah, apparently I missed the entire battle."

"Just start from the beginning."

Chihiro groaned, "Kay, so I wanted to find Masaru's castle and save Rena while he was busy fighting you. So, I used a golden compass, given to me, to find the location and ran all the way there,"

"You ran all the way to Masaru's castle?!" asked Haku in shocked. "Do you have any idea how far that is on foot?!"

"I do now," she snorted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why would you do something like that?" he demanded to know.

"Because you made me feel inadequate and I wanted to prove my worth to you," she said, slightly flustered. "I believe your exact words were, 'Chihiro, you shouldn't have come here'. Something along those lines."

He sighed heavily and turned away from her. "Okay and then what happened?"

"Well, as I was running, I came into a thick icy haze that seemed to stretch on for miles. I figured it was Masaru's barrier," she continued. "So, I pressed on forward."

"And it was at that moment that Masaru immediately came racing back. He felt your impeding presence. I still can't believe you blindly plunged into the barrier like that. Chihiro, you could've been killed," Haku expressed.

"But I wasn't," she cheerfully replied. "Well, Yubaba almost managed to kill me when she swept me up into a swirling vortex of doom and –"

"You had a confrontation with Yubaba?!"

Haku's blood pressure was beginning to skyrocket. It seemed Chihiro's story was becoming worse and worse with each new detail. How could one girl manage to get into so much trouble within a matter of a few hours?! His mind was completely blown as he listened to Chihiro ramble on and on.

"Yes, but I made a deal with her. I gave her my golden compass in exchanged for my life," said Chihiro.

"That's….actually very resourceful," said Haku. "Hold on, where'd you a golden compass in the first place? They don't exactly grow on trees."

"Kamaji gave it to me," she responded. "I almost forgot I had it. Without the compass, there's no way I would've ever made it here on my own."

"Figures," Haku muttered. "He always manages to get his hands on the strangest artifacts."

"So, anyway," Chihiro continued, "Yubaba let me go and I blindly continued through the icy barrier. Then the others showed up and we all broke inside the castle together. Akira managed to follow Rena's scent and lead us to her location. But before we could do anything, Masaru showed up, and I got pushed inside the enchanted room with Rena for what seemed like forever!"

Haku glared at her, "so...where's she now?"

"She's still trapped inside," Chihiro sheepishly responded as she twirled her thumbs. "I, ah, kinda forgot about her for a little bit."

"My, my," he slyly responded. "You're not as innocent as I thought you were, are you?"

"I was just trying to get help and…"Chihiro's faced ripened, "D-Don't look at me like that! I just…got a little distracted! It's your fault!"

"Alright, I'll take the blame. But right now, we need to save the girl," said Haku, suddenly becoming serious again.

Chihiro grabbed onto Haku's hand. "Come on, I'll show you where to go."

But Haku scooped up Chihiro into his arms before she even took a step. "No time. Just point me in the right direction."

"Uh, okay," said Chihiro a little flustered.

"Besides, I think you've done enough running around the moment," He said softly as he flew into the castle.

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Lin grumbled as she bent down to pick up a pink and blue bathhouse worker uniform. The garments were scattered all over the marble floors of Yubaba's office. Yubaba's giant minon heads curiously watched as they stayed huddled in the corner by the blazing fireplace. Naomi sat at the edge of Yubaba's desk with her left leg draped over her right. Her arms her tightly folded across her chest and her head was turned away from Lin.

"I am not wearing that!" she shouted.

Lin sighed. "These are orders from that freak, Masaru. Unless you want him to come in here and use his creepy mind powers, you'd better wear the uniform."

"No way! It's degrading!"

Lin raised an eye brow as she glanced down at her own uniform. "How is it degrading? Your body will be completely covered! We all wear one!"

"No, that's not what I mean!" said Naomi, shaking her head firmly. "I've been stalked by a deranged psychotic being, dragged into another realm, held hostage in an enormous spiritual facility, and now I'm being forced into another change of clothes?! No, I refuse to become a tragic kidnapped heroine of a shonen anime story! I will not wear clothes provided by the enemy!"

"Oh Geez. Why do I always get stuck with the weirdos?" Lin muttered.

"I doubt he'll use his mind control on me anyway," said Naomi. "I saw how much trouble he had controlling you."

"So?"

"So, that means he has issues with controlling strong willed people. Maybe even women in general," Naomi explained. "Don't you see, Lin? We can beat him this way. If we resist long enough, then maybe we can exhaust him."

"It won't be that easy. He'll kill us both before that even happens. You're new here so you don't know the stories about this guy. Your little plan won't work. He's just too powerful."

"Even a giant can be brought down by a parasite," said Naomi sharply. "I'm not gonna give up on this."

"Well you should," Lin said "Our best bet is to wait for the Guardians to get here. And they went off to battle. But it won't be long before they figure out what's going on and come rushing back. There are 3 new humans in the spirit world, after all. They've probably sensed you by now."

"So, do all spirits have the ability to sense humans?" Naomi asked.

"Not all of us do. Only extremely powerful spirits can. The rest of us can only smell when they're nearby," said Lin with disgust. "You humans have a pretty pungent aroma."

"Where's Chihiro?" Naomi asked, ignoring her comment. "Is she safe?"

Lin frowned. "You mean Sen, right? Sorry, I'm not used to her real name yet. I haven't seen her since yesterday."

"Then she's probably already met up with Haku by now. I'll bet they're fighting against Masaru right now," said Naomi, suddenly worried. "I hope she's alright."

"She'd better be alright," fussed Lin. "That dragon boy had better not let anything happen to her, or I'll sock em into next week!"

"He would never let anything happen to her!" proclaimed Naomi. "He cares for her too much!"

"Right," said Lin with disbelief. "And how do you know all this again? You hacked Sen's diary, or something?"

"I already told you it wasn't a diary!" screeched Naomi. "She wrote her accounts from 5 years ago into a notebook and told everyone it was a story she made up," Naomi gushed. "I practically fell in love with the story."

"Your brother was right. You are nuts," sighed Lin,

"How is he doing? Is he okay?" Naomi asked.

"Yeah, he's still over in the infirmary with your friend," Lin answered. "Of course, both of them are cooperating better than you are"

"So, Reiji's fine too?"

Lin furrowed her brow, "yes, I just said that, didn't I? We managed to heal most of his injuries. He's probably awake by now."

"I have to see them," Naomi proclaimed, pacing towards the doorway. She nearly stumbled backwards when she saw tatsuo staring back at her.

"Just where do you think you're going?" he questioned, blocking her path.

"To see Shin and Reiji," she told him.

"I'm afraid I can't let that happen right now. You are to remain here. But you'll surely see them later when time comes for us to open," he told her, brushing pass.

_'I really don't like the sound of that,' _she thought.

"Lin, any trouble in here?" he asked, sashaying over to Yubaba's former desk and sitting down. He glanced over at her three minions hurdled in the corner. "Aww, what's the matter? Don't be afraid. I'm not gonna kill you."

"No, no trouble at all," Lin replied.

He glanced at the uniformless Naomi for a brief moment, then back at Lin. "And what about the baby?"

"Boh is still sound asleep. Whatever you fed him seems to still be working."

"Boh? Who's that?" asked Naomi. She didn't remember ever hearing that name before.

"Yubaba's child," Lin answered.

"You mean the giant baby?" she shrieked. "What did you do to him?"

"I just slipped him a sleeping spell in his bottle," Tatsuo casually stated. "Simply killing him would've been easier to deal with, but I may still need some leverage over the old witch."

"But he's just a child," Naomi said.

"And so are you," he coldly answered, rising from his seat. "I don't care if you're man, woman, or child, if you get in my way I'll eliminate you. Is that understood?"

Both Lin and Naomi nodded once.

"Good," he replied, moving towards the doors. He glared at the 3 minions. "You three, come with me. Now!"

The three minions hopped after him and exited out the door one by one.

"I can at least give my little assistant some decency while she changes into her uniform," said Tatsuo, turning back to face the two women. "And you will put it on."

He slipped out the door and closed it behind him. Naomi stared down at the floor before snatching the uniform out of Lin's grasp.

"He used his control on you?" wondered Lin.

But Naomi shook her head, "I just allowed him to win this battle. But he will now win the war. I'm still determined to find his weakness. We now have 2 more hours until they begin lighting the lanterns."

…

"This is it. This is the entrance to the enchanted room," explained Chihiro, standing in front of stone cold wall. "Masaru used some sort of love enchantment to seal off the room. The only way to enter or exit is to match to the correct frequency. So, in other words, love is the answer."

"I figured that was the type of enchantment the minute you told me about the sealed room," said Haku.

"But, how did you know that? Kita and Riku couldn't even figure out what type of enchantment it was."

"Because you were able to escape, while Rena was not. I'm guessing she wasn't able to match frequencies because she doesn't have a lover."

Chihiro nodded. "That's why I left to get help."

"I never thought Masaru would use such a spell. It seems a bit out of character for him," commented Haku.

"He must've casted the spell as a tribute to Ayaka since he was to think of her in order to pass," said Chihiro. "If any of his enemies were to get in here, they'd never be able to access this room. No one would ever expect that from Masaru."

"Since I know what kind of enchantment is being used," said Haku, extending out an open palm, "I should be able to break it."

"That's great," cheered Chihiro.

"There's just one more thing I'd like to confirm," he said, lowering his hand and staring back at Chihiro.

"What's that?"

"It was me you were thinking of, right?" he asked.

Chihiro smiled, "of course it was. There's no one else."

"Good," he said with a straight face, "because if there were, I'd have to kill him."

Chihiro's eyes widened with horror. "Really?"

"No, I'm joking," he said with a smug.

"Your sense of humor is frightening," laughed Chihiro.

"I know, it's part of the reason why I don't show it," he said, raising his hand again. A rifling wind swirled around his hand and quickly spread up to his shoulder. " By the power of the wind and water, unbind thee."

Suddenly, the entire stone wall began illuminating with a rich white light. Chihiro watched with amazement as a door frame slowly came into vision.

"It's done," Haku concluded, sliding open the door.

Rena stood dumbfounded. A look of pure shock spread across her face as she stared.

"Wh-What just happened?!" she freaked.

"The enchantment's been broken. You're free now," said Chihiro, walking towards her.

Rena regained her composure and smoothed out her hair. "Oh, I see. You know, for a second I didn't think you were coming back. What were you doing all this time?"

"Uh, well you see…..I," stammered Chihiro. Before she could say anything else, Haku waltzed into the room. Rena's jaw nearly dropped when she saw him.

"Who is that?" she asked, a little flushed. Her eyes glanced over Haku's stoic expression.

"Oh yeah," said Chihiro, taking Haku's hand. "Rena, this is Haku. He's my….uh, well. He's my….."

"Boyfriend," said Haku gently.

Chihiro was suddenly at a loss for words. Yes, the two of them finally confessed their feelings for one another, but they didn't exactly define a relationship. Hearing Haku say that out loud brought butterflies to her stomach.

"Yes," she nodded. "Boyfriend."

"He looks just like your drawings," mused Rena.

"I thought you said you didn't look at them," said Chihiro, folding her arms.

Rena turned away. "I may have glanced at one or two drawings."

Haku raised an eyebrow. "You drew pictures of me?"

"Uh, just little doodles. Nothing that impressive," said Chihiro, nervously rubbing the back of her neck.

"Nontheless, I would like to see these doodles you've done of me later," he said with a smirk.

"I'd love to show them to you. But, unfortunately, someone dropped them into a fiery inferno," Chihiro shot a glance at Rena.

"For crying out loud, Ogino! Can't you just let that go?! I feel bad enough!" whined Rena. "Anyway, can we go home now? I feel like I'm losing more and more of my sanity the longer I stay here."

"I'd like to send you home now, but I'm afraid that will have to wait," said Haku.

"That's right. We still need to stop Masaru," said Chihiro. "I hope the others are doing okay."

But Haku was no longer listening He was glancing down at what the floor. His entire face was completely blank with expression, as if he were in some sort of trance. Chihiro gently tapped his shoulder.

"Haku? Are you okay?" she asked. "Haku!"

He suddenly shook his head, "yeah…I'm fine."

"It's not like you to just suddenly space out like that."

"I thought I felt something," he said, putting a hand to his temple.

Chihiro tilted her head in confusion, "something? Like what?"

"I can't explain it," he told her. "It's just that…something doesn't feel right. I think there are more humans in the Spirit World."

"What? But how?" Rena gasped.

"I don't know," he answered. "But I can vaguely sense them along with something else that I can't quite make out."

"You think Masaru kidnapped more people?" asked Chihiro.

Haku shook his head. "I don't think so. He's got the rest of the team to worry about. Besides, it doesn't feel like his energy. I need to investigate this."

"Wait, what about us? You're not just gonna leave us here are you?" Chihiro demanded to know. "We're coming with you."

"I can't take you with me. What if this strange manifestation tries to go after you too? It's already captured other humans. Look, you're staying here and—"

"I said we're coming with you!" Shouted Chihiro, stomping at the ground.

Haku was a little startled by the tone and volume of her voice. Chihiro's chocolate brown eyes were as hard as stones and her plump cheeks were even redder than usual. She'd had enough of him bossing her around all the time and she wasn't going to put up with her any longer.

"Alright then," said Haku, clearing his throat. He walked away from them and prepared to transform. "Let's go."

_'They've been dating for 5 minutes and already she's got him whipped,'_ Rena chuckled to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh, what will happen next in our story? And where the heck are those Guardians? Find out next chapter! Which, hopefully, won't take as long to come out as this chap. Lol<strong>


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